Hepatitis is the inflammation or swelling of

the liver and it can occur as a result of taking

an overdose of or chronically taking certain
drugs, alcohol or certain chemicals. Hepatitis
may also be caused by viral infections or
autoimmune disease. Inflammation of the
liver may precede liver damage. Viral
hepatitis is the most common cause of
hepatitis.

Till date, six strains of the hepatitis virus have

been identified—Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and
G. Each strain is unique, differing from the
others in severity and in the way it spreads.
The most common hepatitis viruses are types
A, B and C.

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus
(HBV). Hepatitis B can develop into a chronic
infection and can lead to serious, life-
threatening complications such as liver
failure, liver cancer or liver cirrhosis, a
condition where the liver Cells die and are
replaced by scar tissue and fat.

You can get infected with hepatitis B if you

come in contact with the blood and/or body
fluids of an infected person, such as by
sharing infected needles—during drug abuse
—or having unprotected sex.
Pregnant women who are infected can pass on the infection to their
babies during childbirth. Nurses, laboratory technicians and doctors
can also get infected if they come in touch with an infected person’s
blood or accidentally puncture their skin with a needle that was used
on an infected patient. You cannot get hepatitis B by casual contact,
such as shaking hands or hugging an infected person.

Click here to view the animation

Symptoms of hepatitis B Symptoms of hepatitis B

If you have been infected with the Nausea and vomiting.
HBV, it usually takes around 12 weeks
for the first signs and symptoms of the Abdominal pain.
disease to appear. The symptoms can Loss of appetite.
be mild or severe. Yellow skin and yellowness
around the whites of your
If you experience one or all of these eyes (a sign of jaundice).
symptoms (see Box), get in touch with Body weakness.
your doctor immediately. Since the
symptoms of hepatitis B do not appear Extreme tiredness.
for more than 2½ months, it is Dark, tea-colored urine.
important that you get yourself tested if
you suspect you have the disease.

Blood tests are used to diagnose hepatitis B. Getting yourself tested

can help you take the necessary precautions if the diagnostic test
turns out to be positive. You can also take necessary steps to
prevent the disease from spreading to others.

Acute and Chronic hepatitis B

Hepatitis B infections can be acute or chronic.
Symptoms of acute hepatitis are present for
about 6 weeks and gradually disappear after
that, with no long-term complications.

Chronic hepatitis, on the other hand, occurs

when the liver has been damaged from the
acute illness and cannot recover, leading to
severe, life-threatening complications.

Chronic hepatitis lasts for 6 months or longer.

The time between the acute illness and signs
of chronic hepatitis B varies. It may take a
short time, or it may be years after the acute
infection subsides that the chronic infection
with hepatitis B develops.

Complications
Chronic hepatitis B can lead to various complications of the liver—
cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer. When the liver is damaged, it
loses its capacity to flush out toxic body wastes which can be very
harmful to the body. Although initial liver damage or cirrhosis hardly
exhibits any symptoms in the early stages of the disease, symptoms
become prominent as the disease progresses and liver damage
becomes worse.
Some of the symptoms of liver damage are:
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Extreme tiredness.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Loss of appetite.
• Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice).

Individuals with hepatitis B are more prone to hepatitis D, an infection

that spreads through contact with infected blood or other body fluids
like Semen and vaginal secretions of hepatitis D infected individuals.
Hepatitis D can only develop in people who already have hepatitis B
and can worsen the symptoms of hepatitis B.

Prevention
The best way to prevent hepatitis B is to have
protected sex and to avoid sharing needles.
Precaution should also be taken while going to
the barber for hair-cuts or manicuring of nails,
as the tools should be sterilized properly.
Hepatitis B can also be prevented by getting
oneself vaccinated against the disease that
protects you from getting the disease.

Nowadays, the vaccine is routinely

recommended for newborns and forms part of
the Immunization schedule. Among adults,
those who are at high-risk of getting infected
-doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, drug
users and people who have sexual contact
with multiple partners - can also take this
vaccine. Ask your doctor for more information
on prevention by vaccination.
Hepatitis B Overview

Hepatitis is a general term that means inflammation of the liver.

The liver can become inflamed as a result of infection, a
disorder of the immune system, or exposure to alcohol, certain
medications, toxins, or poisons.
• Hepatitis B is caused by infection with the hepatitis B
virus (HBV). This infection has 2 phases: acute and chronic.
o Acute (new, short-term) hepatitis B occurs
shortly after exposure to the virus. A small number of
people develop a very severe, life-threatening form of
acute hepatitis called fulminant hepatitis.
o Chronic (ongoing, long-term) hepatitis B is an
infection with HBV that lasts longer than 6 months. Once
the infection becomes chronic, it may never go away
completely.
o About 90-95% of people who are infected are
able to fight off the virus so their infection never becomes
chronic. Only about 5-10 percent of adults infected with
HBV go on to develop chronic infection.
o HBV infection is one of the most important
causes of infectious hepatitis.

• People with chronic HBV infection are called chronic

carriers. About two-thirds of these people do not themselves
get sick or die of the virus, but they can transmit it to other
people. The remaining one third develop chronic hepatitis B,
a disease of the liver that can be very serious.
o The liver is an essential organ that the body
needs to stay alive. Its most important functions are
filtering many drugs and toxins out of the blood, storing
energy for later use, helping with the absorption of certain
nutrients from food, and producing substances that fight
infections and control bleeding.
o The liver has an incredible ability to heal itself,
but it can only heal itself if nothing is damaging it.
o Liver damage in chronic hepatitis B, if not
stopped, continues until the liver becomes hardened and
scarlike. This is called cirrhosis, a condition traditionally
associated with alcoholism. When this happens, the liver
can no longer carry out its normal functions, a condition
called liver failure. The only treatment for liver failure is
liver transplant.
o Chronic hepatitis B also can lead to a type of
liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma.
o Any of these conditions can be fatal. About 15-
25 percent of people with chronic hepatitis B die of liver
disease.
• Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection
in the world. Worldwide, about 350 million people are
chronic carriers of HBV, of whom, more than 250,000 die
from liver-related disease each year.

• In the United States, hepatitis B is largely a disease of

young adults aged 20-50 years. About 1.25 million people
are chronic carriers, and the disease causes about 5000
deaths each year.

• The good news is that infection with HBV is almost

always preventable. You can protect yourself and your loved
ones from hepatitis B.