Hepatitis B: Diagnosis, Complication, and Prevention

This article will talk about various aspects of complications, preventions, and diagnosis of Hepatitis B.

Diagnosis of Hepatitis B

If the doctors understand that you have Hepatitis B, they will ask you to do a full physical exam. They will also test your blood to see that whether you have an inflamed liver or not. If your level of liver enzyme is high and you also have symptoms of Hepatitis B, then there are some tests you have to do.

• HBsAg: The antigens are the proteins on the Hepatitis B virus. Antibodies are the proteins that are made by the immune cells of your body. They are visible in the blood 2 and 11 weeks after the exposure. If you receive treatment and recover, it goes away after 5 to 6 months; but if they are present after six months, the condition has beco0me chronic.
• Anti-HBs: These are visible right after the HBsAg disappears. These are the main things that give you immunity from Hepatitis B forever.

If the condition is chronic, then the doctor will perform a biopsy, which means that your liver tissue sample will be tested. These can reveal the seriousness of the entire condition. Liver ultrasound can also be done to check the amount of liver damage. According to the results, the doctors will give you Hepatitis B medicine.

Complications of Hepatitis B

Often, the patients with Hepatitis B do not become sick and do not even know about the condition unless it reaches the last stages. Hence serious complications occur.

• Cirrhosis: Here, the liver gets scarred. The liver cannot do its work properly, and slowly it results in liver failure.
• Liver Cancer: There is a chance of liver cancer if you are suffering from chronic Hepatitis B. The doctors may ask you to take an ultrasound test to check the condition of the liver.
• Liver Failure: This is the condition when the liver completely stops functioning. It is also called “end-stage” liver disease. There are very few Hepatitis B cases where it has happened.
• Kidney Disease: It has been observed that Hepatitis B caused cirrhosis and a type of kidney disease.
• Blood vessel problems: This mainly involves inflammation of blood vessels.

Prevention of Hepatitis B

There are few ways by which Hepatitis B can also be prevented from happening.

• Hepatitis B vaccine is the best way of prevention, and it is also recommended to give this vaccine to all newborn babies.
• Using condoms while having sex.
• You should wear gloves if you need to touch linens, tampons, and bandages.
• Cover up all open wounds and cuts.
• Do not share pierced earrings, nail care tools, toothbrushes, and razors with others.
• Do not share any chewing gum or pre-chew the food before giving it to the baby.
• Needles for tattoos, ear piercing, or drugs and tools of pedicure and manicure are sterilized properly.

Pregnancy and Hepatitis B

If any woman is pregnant and at the same time she is infected with Hepatitis B, then there is a slight chance of passing the virus to the baby during birth, but the likeliness is very less during the time of pregnancy. If the baby has the virus and is not treated, the baby can have liver problems. Hence the babies are vaccinated after they are born.

To prevent the complications, it is very important to take Hepatitis B medicine as soon as the disease is diagnosed.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Shalini_M/2609777