Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B
This disease is caused by hepatitis
virus. This virus infects the liver. The liver becomes inflamed and
this inflammation is known as hepatitis. This disease causes the
inflammation of liver, jaundice, vomiting. The hepatitis b virus is
seldom known to cause death in a person. However chronic hepatitis B
may cause cirrhosis and liver cancer. Liver cancer is untreatable and
unresponsive to the present chemotherapy, and this may be fatal.
This disease is very common in parts of Asia and Africa. Hepatitis B is not a viral disease and does not spread by casual contact and touching, shaking or holding hands, sharing utensils, hugging, breast feeding, sneezing or coughing. This disease is spread from being exposed to infected blood or other body fluids like semen and vaginal fluids.
The symptoms of the hepatitis B starts with the general sickness which includes nausea, loss of appetite, body aches, mild fever, vomiting and dark urine. This later goes on to develop in to jaundice. Like all other hepatitis itchy skin is also the symptom of hepatitis B. hepatitis B is cured in most people in few weeks.
Hepatitis B chronic infection is sometimes associated with chronic inflammation of the liver. This develops in to cirrhosis. The chance of having a liver cancer increase with the occurrence of cirrhosis in a human body.
Hepatitis B can be detected by a serum or blood tests. There are special vaccines available in the market for the prevention of hepatitis B.
The acute form of hepatitis b does not require any medication and most adults get well on their own. The adults get well by clearing the infection spontaneously. Less than 1% of the hepatitis B patients need to be administered with anti viral vaccine. This occurs when the hepatitis B develops in to fulminate hepatitis. Chronic infection also needs to e treated to reduce the chances of cirrhosis and cancer. In extreme cases therapy will be required. The vaccines do not clear the virus but stop the virus from replicating. This can minimize the liver damage. Adults are more likely to clear the infection as compared to children.
