Hepatitis B is a serious health condition occurring due to Hepatitis B virus or HBV. In case of some people this infection becomes a chronic condition which means that it would last for more than 6 months. A chronic condition leads to a possibility of liver failure and it is better to consult a hepatitis B specialist doctor at the earliest which is a condition that may permanently scar your liver. Most of the adults are known to recover from this condition even if your liver is scared permanently. The kids are more likely to suffer from a chronic condition of such a disorder.
Though a vaccine can prevent occurrence of the condition, but if you have this condition there is no cure. If you are infected you need to take precautions so that the infection does not spread from one person to another person.
Symptoms
The symptoms or signs of Hepatitis can range from mild to severe. After being infected they are likely to appear once in between 2 to 4 months but you could see them two weeks post infection. For the kids in the younger bracket they would not be displaying any symptoms. The symptoms may include dark urine, appetite loss, lack of urine, joint pain to name a few of them
When to get in touch with a doctor
If you feel that you have been exposed to Hepatitis B you should consult your doctor immediately. Any form of preventive treatment may reduce the risk of infection, and this is if you have received treatment within 24 hours of having been exposed to the virus. A Hepatitis specialist is going to provide you with inputs on how to proceed ahead.
Causes
As already mentioned early Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis virus. The virus would pass from one person to another person via blood, smell or it can be other form of body fluids. By coughing or sneezing it is not going to spread. Some other ways by which it may spread are
- Needle sharing- it is known to spread easily by syringes and needles which is contaminated with infected blood. If you are sharing paraphernalia drugs it is going to put you at a high risk of hepatitis B.
- Sexual contact- You may end up suffering from Hepatitis B, if you have unprotected sex with someone who is infected. The virus may pass on to the semen , blood or vaginal secretions of the body.
- Needle sticks accidental form- Hepatitis B turns out to be a concern for health care workers and anyone who would be coming in contact with human blood.
- Mother to child- a pregnant woman who is infected with HBV may pass on the virus to the baby during birth process. But the new born may be vaccinated to prevent any form of infection in any of the cases.
A suggestion is to discuss with your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
