Cause, Symptoms And Treatments: What Is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B infections are designated either acute or chronic, referring to the term of the infection. An acute infection of hepatitis B is far less serious, as its symptoms tend to disappear without any treatment and may disappear within a few weeks' time as the body begins to produce antibodies against the virus, which provide lifelong protection against reinfection. Contagion ends as an acute infection is overcome.

A chronic infection of hepatitis B is by definition an infection that lasts for more than six months. Those who are chronically infected are contagious risks, and run a high risk of potentially serious liver damage (cirrhosis and liver cancer being the most common). More than one million Americans are currently estimated to have chronic hepatitis B infections.

Hepatitis B is not highly infectious, as it requires direct contact with reproductive fluids (semen, vaginal fluids) or blood. This frequently classifies hepatitis B as a sexually transmitted disease, as this is one of the most common methods of transmission. Sexual contact, needle-sharing, and contact with blood or reproductive fluids (whether occupational or accidental) produces the potential to cause infection, though the virus in these fluids must come in contact with the recipient's bloodstream through some avenue to cause infection. Oral contact is generally not sufficient for the contagion, unless the saliva of the infected contains traces of blood, which must then be introduced by some means (such as a cut in the mouth or on the lip) to the recipient's bloodstream. Toothbrushes from an infected individual may contain blood from the gums, which may in turn lead to infection in one who shares the brush.

The symptoms of hepatitis B infection are not always present, and may be so subtle as to avoid easy detection. Symptoms of acute infection include flu-like symptoms, nausea, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and conjunctiva, or eye whites), and a pain or tenderness of the liver, which is found in the abdomen just under the right side of the ribs. Jaundice is generally one of the last symptoms to appear, and may occur after the disappearance of other symptoms of the infection.

A physical examination (including blood tests) and an examination of any contact risk factors are the usual methods of initial diagnosis, followed by tests for antibodies or genetic material pertaining to the virus.

Treatment varies, and is usually limited to chronic cases. Antiviral medications and close monitoring of the course of the disease are the most common treatments for these cases. The best treatment with hepatitis B, as with many diseases, is prevention, and a vaccine for the disease is readily available to those who would seek it. This vaccine allows the body to produce antibodies against the disease that will allow for life-long protection against infection.