If blood tests show that you still have hepatitis B after 6 months, your doctor may recommend medication to reduce the risk of complications of hepatitis B and regular tests to assess the health of your liver. Hepatitis B medications can help keep the virus under control and stop it damaging your liver, although they will not necessarily cure the infection and some people need lifelong treatment. The main medicines for chronic hepatitis B include peginterferon alfa 2-a and antiviral medicines.
If your liver is working fairly well, the first treatment offered is usually a medicine called peginterferon alfa 2-a. This stimulates the immune system to attack the hepatitis B virus and regain control over it. It's usually given by injection once a week for 48 weeks. Common side effects include flu-like symptoms, such as a fever and muscle and joint pain, after you start to take the medicine, although these should improve with time. Tests will be carried out during treatment to see how well it's working.
Alternative medicines may be recommended if it's not helping. If your liver is not working well, or peginterferon alpha-2a is not suitable or not working for you, your doctor may recommend trying antiviral medication instead. HBV is a major global health concern. In fact, in , HBV-related liver disease caused around , deaths worldwide.
For most adults, HBV is a short term condition that causes no permanent damage. HBV can cause infection and inflammation of the liver. A person can have HBV and transmit the virus to others without knowing that they have it. Some people experience no symptoms. Some only have the initial infection, which then resolves.
For others, the condition becomes chronic. In chronic cases, the virus continues to attack the liver over time without detection, resulting in irreversible liver damage.
However, accounting for people who do not report that they have the infection, the number of acute HBV infections may have been closer to 22, Many HBV infections occur during infancy or childhood.
This is because a mother can pass HBV to her child during childbirth. However, doctors rarely diagnose HBV in childhood, as it causes few obvious symptoms. Symptoms of a new HBV infection may not be apparent in children under 5 years of age or in adults with a suppressed immune system. Acute symptoms appear around 60— days after exposure to the virus, and they can last from several weeks to 6 months. A person with a chronic HBV infection may have ongoing episodes of abdominal pain, persistent fatigue , and aching joints.
HBV is transmissible when blood, semen, or another bodily fluid from a person with the virus enters the body of an individual who does not have it. Health workers may be at risk through unsafe medical practices, such as reusing medical equipment, not using personal protection, or incorrectly disposing of sharps.
The virus can survive outside the body for at least 7 days. During this time, it can still cause infection if it enters the body of a person who has not received vaccination against it. Antiviral medication can treat chronic infections. If chronic HBV starts causing permanent liver damage, undergoing a liver transplant can help improve long term survival. However, receiving an effective vaccine and taking antiviral medications means that fewer people may end up needing a liver transplant as a result of chronic HBV.
There is no specific treatment, cure, or medication for an acute HBV infection. Supportive care will depend on the symptoms. Healthcare workers give the prophylaxis after the exposure and before an acute infection develops. This protocol will not cure an infection that has already developed. Viral load refers to the amount of a virus in a blood sample. Based on your results, your doctor may alter your medication dosage. Some people with severe chronic hepatitis B may eventually need a liver transplant.
Hepatitis B is often spread through sexual contact, shared needles, and accidental needle sticks. The hepatitis B vaccine is one of the most effective ways to prevent hepatitis B. In many countries, infants receive their first dose of the vaccine at birth.
They can also prescribe a medication called hepatitis B immunoglobulin. This works quickly against the virus for short-term protection.
Both of these options work best when started within 48 hours of exposure to the virus. If you have hepatitis B, try to get in for a blood test every six months or so to monitor your viral load and liver health. Learn how it's caused and treated, and find tips for preventing it. Hepatitis B is a viral infection that disproportionately affects Asians and Asian Americans. Hepatitis A, B, and C are caused by different viruses that lead to inflammation of your liver.
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