Hepatitis B virus Information
Hepatitis B virus is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world. More than one-third of the world’s population is infected with the Hepatitis B virus. Around 350 million people worldwide are chronically infected with the disease. The infected people have a serious form of the disease that can lead to liver disease and liver cancer. Hence it is high time that people who are at risk for Hepatitis B visit their doctors and get examined.
Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus, which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV), can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. At east half the people suffering from Hepatitis B virus will get very sick and die from a serious liver disease or liver cancer.
Hepatitis B virus can cause chronic infection in which the patient never gets rid of the virus and many years later develops cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. HBV is the most serious type of viral hepatitis and the only type causing chronic hepatitis for which a vaccine is available.
People with Hepatitis B know they have the disease because they exhibit certain symptoms like yellow eyes or yellow skin. Many people with Hepatitis B virus do not show any symptoms nor do they fall sick. Surveys have revealed that nearly thirty percent of the people who are infected with the virus do not show any signs or symptoms of Hepatitis. The only way to confirm if you have Hepatitis B is to ask your doctor. He or she can conduct a Hepatitis B blood test to find out for sure.
90 percent of the people infected with the Hepatitis B virus have acute infection. The infection is most likely to last a few weeks or some months. It is most likely that the person will recover totally and not have any lasting problems. About 10 percent will have serious form of the infection which can result in liver cancer. About 15 percent of people with chronic Hepatitis B infection will eventually die.
Those infected with Hepatitis B virus will develop Hepatitis A and Hepatitis C infections over the course of time. There are different varieties of Hepatitis and each of them is caused by a different virus. However under no condition will Hepatitis B virus turn into another type of Hepatitis virus. People with Hepatitis B virus are still at risk from being infected with one of the other Hepatitis viruses. Injecting a patient with Hepatitis B vaccine is likely to prevent those infected with the Hepatitis B virus from getting sick. The Hepatitis B vaccine is effective only for those who have not been infected with the virus.
You can only get Hepatitis B by coming into contact with the blood or body fluids of someone with the virus. Hepatitis B virus cannot be inherited from one’s parents. However a pregnant woman with Hepatitis B virus can spread the virus to her babies during childbirth. Side effects of prescription treatment are always worse than the disease itself. Though side effects of treatment can be harsh, many patients find them manageable. All those suffering from the disease and taking treatment do not suffer from serious side effects.
