img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-2207 size-full" src="https://panhandlehealthdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Hepatitis-B-1.jpg" alt="A Hepatitis B vaccine bottle." width="1600" height="1000" srcset="https://panhandlehealthdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Hepatitis-B-1.jpg 1600w, https://panhandlehealthdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Hepatitis-B-1-300x188.jpg 300w, https://panhandlehealthdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Hepatitis-B-1-768x480.jpg 768w, https://panhandlehealthdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Hepatitis-B-1-1024x640.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" />
What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus. It can range from a short-term acute mild illness that lasts a few weeks to a serious, lifelong chronic illness.
The short-term acute illness occurs within the first six months after a person is exposed to the virus. It may lead to chronic infection.
Chronic hepatitis B infection is a long-term illness that happens when the virus remains in a person’s body.
How does Hepatitis B spread?
Hepatitis B is spread when the blood, semen or another body fluid from a person infected with the hepatitis B virus enters the body of a person who isn’t infected. Transmission can occur through:
o Sexual contact
o Sharing needles, syringes or other drug-injection equipment with an infected person
o From mother to baby through the birth process
o Sharing personal items such as toothbrushes and razors that might have small amounts of blood on them
o Exposure to the blood of an infected person
o Accidental needle sticks in the health care profession
o Hepatitis B is NOT spread through coughing or sneezing.
Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV. It is an extremely hardy virus that can live for several weeks outside the body.
What are the symptoms of Hepatitis B?
Some people, particularly young children, have no symptoms with acute Hepatitis B. Symptoms occur in most adults within 6 months of exposure to the virus. Symptoms can last from a few weeks to several months. They include:
o fever
o fatigue
o loss of appetite
o nausea
o vomiting
o abdominal pain
o dark urine
o clay-colored bowel movements
o joint pain
o jaundice
Chronic hepatitis B may show no symptoms for up to 30 years, but some people experience ongoing symptoms similar to those of acute hepatitis B.
How is Hepatitis B diagnosed and treated?
Doctors diagnose the infection using blood tests. There is no medication available to treat acute hepatitis B. Doctors usually recommend rest, good nutrition and fluids. People with chronic hepatitis B should be monitored regularly for signs of liver disease. Specific medications benefit some people.
How serious is chronic Hepatitis B?
About 15% to 25% of people with chronic Hepatitis B develop serious liver problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. Every year, nearly 4,000 people in the United States and more than 600,000 worldwide die from hepatitis B-related liver disease.
Can hepatitis B be prevented?
Yes. The Hepatitis B vaccination is the best prevention. Children usually get the vaccination in three shots over six months. The entire series is necessary. The vaccine doesn’t provide protection for people already infected.
Who should get vaccinated against hepatitis B?
EVERYONE should be vaccinated for Hepatitis B. This is a normal recommended childhood vaccine.
Here are some links to helpful information:
Chronic Kidney Disease
American Liver Foundation Q&A’s
Hepatitis B Foundation
Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases