Hepatitis B can be transmitted through body fluid like blood and semen. The symptoms of hepatitis usually appear at 25 to 180 days following exposure. These may also include joint and muscle ache. However some do not have any symptoms.
Hepatitis B virus infection unlike hepatitis A can lead to chronic disease and liver cirrhosis.
In our population hepatitis B is usually transmitted at birth or early childhood and infection at that age has a very high chance of developing chronic disease.
Who is at risk of getting hepatitis B?
*any person with a family member or sexual partner infected with hepatitis B.
*living in the same house with someone who has hepatitis B infection
*baby born to infected mothers
*health care workers or anyone whose work involves contact with human blood
*people with multiple sex partners
*injection drug users
*people who had blood transfusion before 1972
Hepatitis B is not spread through food or water, sharing eating or drinking utensils, coughing, sneezing or by casual contact.
What should I do if I have viral hepatitis B?
If you suspect that you may have been infected by hepatitis B virus :
Consult a doctor
Your doctor will assess and examine you.
The doctor may do blood tests including specific test for hepatitis B and an ultrasound of your liver.
In some cases you may need a liver biopsy, a procedure whereby a small liver tissue is taken for further tests.
You may need hospital admission if your liver is not functioning well. Otherwise you may be seen and followed up in the clinics.
It is important to consult a doctor because viral hepatitis can be treated. Treatment can prevent complications. The treatments available are in the form of injections or tablets.
However some people do not need treatment yet but it is still important to continue follow up because the condition may change and require treatment at some stage or you may need to be screened regularly for complications especially liver cancer.
