About Hepatitis B

The word hepatitis refers to an "inflammation of the liver." Chronic hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world and is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which attacks the liver. An acute (short-term) hepatitis B infection can progress to chronic hepatitis B — a lifetime condition that can lead to cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, liver cancer and liver failure.

Not everyone who is infected with hepatitis B will develop chronic hepatitis B. In fact, most healthy adults (90%) who are infected will recover and develop protective antibodies against future infections. If the virus remains in the blood for more than six months, then a person is diagnosed as having chronic hepatitis B and often requires treatment to prevent further damage to the liver.

Many people with hepatitis B do not have noticeable symptoms. This makes it a truly invisible enemy because people who have the disease may not seek treatment and can unknowingly pass the virus on to others. Hepatitis B infection may cause flu-like symptoms, such as:

• Extreme tiredness
• Fever
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle aches

Other symptoms may include discomfort under the right rib cage, joint pain, dark brown urine and yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).

Hepatitis B is different than hepatitis A or C. Hepatitis A is an acute (short-term) infection that is spread through feces or contaminated water or food. There's an effective vaccine and most patients recover completely within 6 to 10 weeks. Hepatitis C is spread through infected blood and body fluids (predominantly through injection drug use). There is no vaccine and approximately 85 percent of those infected will develop a chronic condition.

Here are a few things you should know about hepatitis B:

• There is an effective vaccine that can prevent hepatitis B
• The majority of people with chronic hepatitis B have no symptoms and can unknowingly infect other people for the rest of their lives
• Hepatitis B is spread through infected blood and body fluids, such as through unprotected sex, sharing needles or from mother to child at birth

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