HEPATITIS (TYPE B)

Hello everyone! How are you all? I hope that you all are fine and I am fine too. Today, we will discuss Hepatitis Type B. Let's begin!

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Hepatitis B is a highly infectious and contagious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infections. The hepatitis B virus was discovered in 1965 by Dr. Baruch Blumberg who won the Nobel Prize for his discovery. 

CAUSES 

• As I told you before, Hepatitis Type B is highly contagious, it is caused by an infected person. 
• Sharing of needles. HBV easily spreads through needles and syringes contaminated with infected blood. ...
• Accidental needle sticks.
• Mother to child during childbirth.

SYMPTOMS

Many people with Hepatitis B have no symptoms and do not know they are infected. If symptoms occur with acute infection, they usually appear within 3 months of exposure and can last anywhere from 2–12 weeks. Symptoms of chronic Hepatitis B can take up to 30 years to develop. But the symptoms that occur are:-

• Abdominal pain.
• Dark urine.
• Fever.
• Joint pain.
• Loss of appetite.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Weakness and fatigue.
• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice).

DIAGNOSIS

Blood tests. Blood tests can detect signs of the hepatitis B virus in your body and tell your doctor whether it's acute or chronic. A simple blood test can also determine if you're immune to the condition. 

Liver ultrasound. A special ultrasound called transient elastography can show the amount of liver damage.

TREATMENT:-

There's no cure for hepatitis B. The good news is it usually goes away by itself in 4 to 8 weeks. More than 9 out of 10 adults who get hepatitis B totally recover. However, about 1 in 20 people who get hepatitis B as adults become “carriers,” which means they have a chronic (long-lasting) hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection. It is a major global health problem. It can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

PREVENTIONS

The best way to prevent Hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated. The World Health Organization recommends at least 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine for all infants with the first dose given within 24 hours of birth followed by 2 or 3 additional doses later.

PREVALENCE 

The number of people who get this disease is down, the CDC says. Rates have dropped from an average of 200,000 per year in the 1980s to around 20,000 in 2016. People between the ages of 20 and 49 are most likely to get it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 4.4 million Americans are currently living with chronic hepatitis B and C. Many more people don't even know that they have hepatitis.

Well, readers, that was it. Hope you liked it and it gave you enough information about Hepatitis type B. If still any queries, feel free to ask in the comments, and yes! suggestions will be appreciated. Take care and keep you and your family safe. I will write again soon. Till then, bubyeeee❤❤❤.