Hepatitis B

Diagnosis

Your doctor will examine you and check for any symptoms of liver damage, such as pale skin or abdominal pain. The following tests can be used to identify hepatitis B or its complications:

• Blood tests. Acute or chronic hepatitis B can be identified by blood testing, which can also inform your doctor of the condition. You can also find out if you are immune to the illness with a straightforward blood test.
• Liver ultrasound. The degree of liver damage can be determined by transient elastography, a specialized ultrasound.
• Liver biopsy. To screen for liver disease, your doctor could take a small sample of your liver for testing. It’s known as a liver biopsy. A small piece of liver tissue is removed for laboratory analysis after your doctor inserts a tiny needle through your skin into your liver during this procedure.

Screening healthy people for hepatitis B

• Due to the fact that the hepatitis B virus can harm the liver before creating signs and symptoms, medical professionals occasionally screen select healthy individuals for the infection. If any of the following apply, discuss hepatitis B infection testing with your doctor:
• Receiving injectable prohibited drugs
• Being detained in prison
• Having hepatitis C or HIV
• Homosexual activity
• Multiple sexual relationships
• Pregnancy
• Share a residence with a hepatitis B carrier
• Having sexually transmitted disease in the past
• Sexual intercourse with a Hepatitis B infected
• Have liver enzyme test results that are abnormal but not fully explained
• Undergoing dialysis for the kidneys
• Come from an area where hepatitis B is prevalent, such as Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, or Eastern Europe, either biologically or through adoption.
• Consume drugs that suppress the immune system, such as those prescribed to avoid organ transplant rejection.

Treatment

Treatment to prevent hepatitis B infection after exposure.

Call your doctor as soon as you realize you’ve been exposed to the hepatitis B virus. It’s critical to be aware of your hepatitis B vaccination status. Your medical professional will ask you about the timing and nature of your exposure.

Receiving an immunoglobulin injection within 24 hours of virus exposure may offer temporary protection against Hepatitis B. To ensure long-term safeguarding, it is recommended to also receive the Hepatitis B vaccine simultaneously, especially if you haven’t received it before.

Treatment for acute hepatitis B infection

You might not require treatment if your doctor thinks that your hepatitis B infection is acute, which means it will pass quickly and naturally. As your body fights the illness, your doctor may advise rest, wholesome eating, plenty of fluids, and attentive observation. Antiviral medications or a hospital stay are required in serious situations to avoid consequences.

Treatment for chronic hepatitis B infection

Most persons who are diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B require lifelong therapy. Starting therapy will depend on a number of variables, such as if the virus is producing cirrhosis, or scarring or inflammation of the liver, as well as other diseases like hepatitis C or HIV, as well as whether your immune system is being compromised by medication or an ailment. The use of treatment lowers your risk of developing liver disease and stops you from spreading the illness to others.

Chronic hepatitis B treatment options include:

• Antiviral medications. Entecavir, tenofovir, lamivudine, adefovir, and telbivudine are a few antiviral medications that can help combat the virus and lessen its ability to harm your liver. These medications are ingested orally. To improve treatment response, your doctor may advise taking two of these drugs at once or taking one of these drugs along with interferon.
• Interferon injections. An anti-infection agent the body produces is called interferon alfa-2b (Intron A), which is a synthetic version of it. After finishing a limited course of medication, it is primarily used by young persons with hepatitis B who want to avoid long-term treatment or women who may want to become pregnant in a few years. While receiving interferon therapy, women should practice contraception. Using interferon when pregnant is not advised. Depression, trouble breathing, nausea, and vomiting are possible side effects.
• Liver transplant. A liver transplant may be an option if your liver has sustained significant damage. The surgeon removes your diseased liver during a liver transplant and replaces it with a healthy liver. Although a tiny percentage of transplanted livers originate from living donors who donate a portion of their livers, most transplanted livers come from deceased donors.