WHAT IS
HEPATITIS B?
Hepatitis B is one of five types of viral hepatitis. Viral hepatitis is a serious illness that
destroys liver cells.
Hepatitis B is a Sexually-Transmitted Disease (STD) because sexual contact is one way it passes between people.
HOW DOES SOMEONE GET HEPATITIS B?
Hepatitis B virus is present in all body fluids of an
infected person. Exchange of body fluids, including blood products, semen, vaginal secretions and saliva, may cause infection. The virus spreads easily among people who live together. People get Hepatitis B in the following ways.
Making contact through an open sore or cut with the blood or body fluid of an infected person
Exchanging body fluids during sex with an infected person
Getting pricked by a contaminated needle or sharing contaminated needles
Being born to an infected mother
Having had a blood transfusion or organ transplant in the early 1980s (blood used in medical procedures is now screened for the Hepatitis B virus)
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HEPATITIS B?
The symptoms of Hepatitis B are similar to the flu. Sometimes they are mild or absent. Very few people have all the symptoms. For these reasons, many cases go undiagnosed and untreated. The main symptoms of Hepatitis B include the following.
Tiredness
Mild fever
Aches and pains in muscles and joints
Nausea and vomiting
Headache
Loss of appetite
Mild abdominal pain and tenderness
Diarrhea
Light colored stools
Yellow skin and whiteness of the eyes (jaundice)
Weight loss of 5-10 pounds
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HOW SOON DO SYMPTOMS DEVELOP?
Hepatitis B symptoms occur 40-180 days after exposure. People can also be "carriers" of the virus. This means they have the virus in their blood and can pass it to someone else without knowing it or having active symptoms. Sometimes the virus stays in the body forever, causing periodic symptoms.
HOW DANGEROUS IS HEPATITIS B?
Hepatitis B causes major damage to the liver. If a person is in good health and there are no major complications, the liver will usually repair itself. Severe cases and those with complications can develop permanent liver damage. This causes liver failure and death in about 1% of cases.
HOW LONG DOES THE ILLNESS LAST?
Most people recover from infections within six months. Five to ten percent develop persistent or chronic hepatitis, or becomes carriers.
IS THERE A CURE FOR HEPATITIS B?
Once symptoms have developed, there is no cure for Hepatitis B. However, there are shots that help prevent this infection. One shot helps the body mount its defenses against the virus, if administered within 48 hours of exposure. There are now vaccines available. Administered before exposure to the Hepatitis B virus, health professionals recommend vaccination for the following high-risk persons.
Heterosexuals who have multiple sex partners
All household members and sexual contacts of persons known to have Hepatitis B
Users of illegal intravenous drugs
Healthcare workers who may have been exposed to contaminated blood or body fluids
Homosexual men who are sexually active
Persons receiving certain blood products
WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE DO IF THEY THINK THEY HAVE HEPATITIS B?
Persons who think they may have Hepatitis B should consider the following plan of action.
See a doctor IMMEDIATELY!
Get a shot within 48 hours of exposure
Follow medical advice on how to keep comfortable and prevent complications if symptoms have developed
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Bed rest and an adequate diet with no alcohol or smoking are important to help the body heal from the infection
Make sure all household members and sexual contacts get preventive shots. Report the situation to the Public Health Department so that others exposed to the virus receive treatment. Infected persons can do this anonymously.