Symptoms Of Hepatitis B

What Are The Symptoms Of Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is the second most prevalent form of the hepatitis virus in the United States. It is caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). There are two forms of infection; acute and chronic. Most people are able to recover on their own and never develop chronic Hepatitis B. Liver failure and liver cancer can develop because of Hepatitis B infection, especially chronic Hepatitis B. Infants and children under the age of six are much more likely than adults to develop chronic and potentially life-threatening Hepatitis B infections.

Many people fight off the Hepatitis B infection on their own within months of acquiring it. This is what is known as an acute Hepatitis B infection. The good thing is that after fighting off a Hepatitis B infection your body develops an immunity to the disease and cannot acquire it again. There is also a vaccine available which can provide immunity to the disease. The Hepatitis B vaccine is created from parts of the HBV virus. There are some risks that can occur as side effects of vaccination, but the vaccine won’t cause a Hepatitis B infection. The CDC recommends vaccination for infants and unvaccinated adults.

Some people show no symptoms of Hepatitis B but are still infected with the virus. These people, known as carriers, can still pass the virus on to others through the normal methods by which HBV is spread (typically by coming in to contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person). A chronic Hepatitis B infection is defined as any hepatitis B infection an individual is unable to rid their body of after six months.

Both forms of Hepatitis B, acute and chronic, can be detected by a simple blood test, such as the Immunoassay (IA) blood test for Hepatitis B provided by STDAware.

Warning signs or symptoms of Hepatitis B infection include typical cold and flu symptoms. Hepatitis B symptoms are typical to those of all other forms of viral Hepatitis (Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B & Hepatitis C) A list of symptoms common to Hepatitis B are:

• Persistent fatigue, sometimes lasting for weeks

• Fever

• Abdominal pain and other stomach issues (nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite)

• Gray colored bowel movements

• Pain in the joints

• Jaundice (a yellowish discoloration of the skin)

Since the symptoms of Hepatitis B are common to many other illnesses as well and because the condition can also be asymptomatic, it is important for at-risk individuals to be tested. According to the CDC, the following individuals are at risk for contracting Hepatitis B:

• People with multiple sex partners

• Men who have sex with other men

• People with any other sexually transmitted disease (STD) or sexually transmitted infection (STI)

• Users of intravenous (IV) drugs

• Healthcare workers and public safety workers exposed to blood in their jobs

• Staff and residents of facilities for the care of developmentally disabled individual

• Infants whose mothers are positive for HBV