What
Is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a liver
disease.
Hepatitis (HEP-ah-TY-tis)
makes your liver swell and stops it from working right.
You need a healthy
liver. The liver does many things to keep you alive. The
liver fights infections and stops bleeding. It removes
drugs and other poisons from your blood. The liver also
stores energy for when you need it.
What
Causes Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is caused
by a virus.
A virus is a germ that
causes sickness. (For example, the flu is caused by a
virus.) People can pass viruses to each other. The virus
that causes hepatitis B is called the hepatitis B virus.
How
Could I Get Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B spreads by
contact with an infected person's blood, semen, or other
body fluid.
You could get hepatitis
B by
- Having sex with an
infected person without using a condom.
- Sharing drug
needles.
- Getting a tattoo or
body piercing with dirty tools that were used on
someone else.
- Getting pricked with
a needle that has infected blood on it (health care
workers can get hepatitis B this way).
- Sharing a toothbrush
or razor with an infected person.
- An infected woman
can give hepatitis B to her baby at birth or through
her breast milk.
You can NOT get
hepatitis B by
- Shaking hands with
an infected person.
- Hugging an infected
person.
- Sitting next to an
infected person.
What
Are the Symptoms?
Hepatitis B can make
you feel like you have the flu.
You might
- Feel tired.
- Feel sick to your
stomach.
- Have a fever.
- Not want to eat.
- Have stomach pain.
- Have diarrhea.
Some people have
- Dark yellow urine.
- Light-colored
stools.
- Yellowish eyes and
skin.
Some people don't
have any symptoms.
If you have symptoms,
or think you might have hepatitis B, go to a doctor.
What
Are the Tests for Hepatitis B?
To check for
hepatitis B, the doctor will test your blood.
 |
The
doctor will take some blood to check for
hepatitis B. |
|
These tests show if you
have hepatitis B and how serious it is.
The doctor may also do
a liver biopsy.
Biopsy (BYE-op-see)
is a simple test. The doctor removes a tiny piece of
your liver through a needle. The doctor checks the piece
of liver for signs of hepatitis B and liver damage.
How
Is Hepatitis B Treated?
 |
Hepatitis
B is treated
through shots of
medicine. |
|
Treatment for
hepatitis B may involve
A drug called
interferon
(in-ter-FEAR-on). It is given through shots.
Most people are treated for 4 months.
A drug called
lamivudine
(la-MIV-you-deen). You take it by mouth once
a day. Treatment is usually for one year. Sometimes
lamivudine is combined with interferon.
Surgery.
Over time, hepatitis B may cause your liver to stop
working. If that happens, you will need a new liver.
The surgery is called a liver transplant. It
involves taking out the old, damaged liver and
putting in a new, healthy one from a donor.
How
Can I Protect Myself?
You can get the
hepatitis B vaccine.
 |
Vaccines
protect you from getting
hepatitis B. |
|
A vaccine is a drug
that you take when you are healthy that keeps you from
getting sick. Vaccines teach your body to attack certain
viruses, like the hepatitis B virus.
The hepatitis B vaccine
is given through three shots. All babies should get the
vaccine. Infants get the first shot within 12 hours
after birth. They get the second shot at age 1 to 2
months and the third shot between ages 6 to 18 months.
Older children and
adults can get the vaccine, too. They get three shots
over 6 months. Children who have not had the vaccine
should get it.
You need all of
the shots to be protected. If you miss a shot, call your
doctor or clinic right away to set up a new appointment.
You can also protect
yourself and others from hepatitis B if you :
 |
People
who touch blood at work
should wear gloves to protect
themselves from hepatitis B. |
|
- Use a condom when
you have sex.
- Don't share drug
needles with anyone.
- Wear gloves if you
have to touch anyone's blood.
- Don't use an
infected person's toothbrush, razor, or anything
else that could have blood on it.
- Also, if you get a
tattoo or body piercing, make sure it is done with
clean tools.
