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This article will discuss various aspects of hepatitis B complications, preventions, and diagnosis.
Diagnosis of hepatitis B
If doctors think you have hepatitis B, they will ask you to have a complete physical exam. They will also test your blood to see if you have an inflamed liver or not. If your liver enzyme level is high and you also have symptoms of hepatitis bthen there are some tests you have to do.
- HBsAg: Antigens are proteins from the hepatitis B virus. Antibodies are proteins made by your body’s immune cells. They are visible in the blood 2 and 11 weeks after 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 become chronic.
- Anti-HBs: These are visible just after the HBsAg is gone. These are the main things that give you immunity against hepatitis B forever.
If the condition is chronic, the doctor will perform a biopsy, which means that your liver tissue sample will be tested. These can reveal the severity of the entire condition. A liver ultrasound may also be done to check the amount of liver damage. Based on the results, doctors will give you Hepatitis B medication.
Hepatitis B complications
Often, patients with hepatitis B don’t get sick and don’t even know about the condition unless it reaches the late stages. Therefore, serious complications occur.
- Cirrhosis: Here, the liver is scarred. The liver cannot do its job properly and slowly leads to liver failure.
- Liver cancer: There is a possibility of liver cancer if you have chronic hepatitis B. Doctors may ask you to have an ultrasound test to check the condition of your liver.
- Liver failure: This is the condition when the liver stops working completely. Also called “end-stage” liver disease. There are very few cases of Hepatitis B in which it has occurred.
- Nephropathy: Hepatitis B has been shown to cause cirrhosis and a type of kidney disease.
- Blood vessel problems: This mainly involves inflammation of the blood vessels.
Hepatitis B Prevention
There are a few ways that hepatitis B can also be prevented.
- The hepatitis B vaccine is the best form of prevention, and it is also recommended to give this vaccine to all newborns.
- Using condoms while having sex.
- You should wear gloves if you need to touch bedding, tampons, and bandages.
- Cover all open wounds and cuts.
- Do not share pierced earrings, nail care tools, toothbrushes, and razors with other people.
- Do not share any gum or pre-chew food before giving it to the baby.
- Needles for tattoos, ear piercing or medication, and pedicure and manicure tools are properly sterilized.
Pregnancy and Hepatitis B
If a woman is pregnant and infected with hepatitis B at the same time, there is a small chance of passing the virus to the baby during delivery, but the chance is much lower during pregnancy. If the baby has the virus and is not treated, the baby may have liver problems. Therefore, babies are vaccinated after they are born.