Hepatitis B: symptoms, transmission and vaccination
Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease. With around 350 million chronically infected people, hepatitis B is the most common viral infection worldwide. A distinction is made between acute and chronic hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B is one of the most common viral infectious diseases worldwide. In about five to ten percent of cases, an infection leads to chronic liver inflammation. The sooner hepatitis B becomes chronic, the more likely it is that the affected person will die of severe liver damage at an advanced age. Hepatitis B can also be dangerous during pregnancy.
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ToggleRoutes of transmission of hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is transmitted via blood and other bodily fluids, for example during sexual intercourse. The pathogens are found in urine, saliva, semen, bile and breast milk. The virus is often absorbed through the skin or mucous membranes. Among young children, the infection can also be transmitted by scratching or biting. Everyday objects such as razors or nail scissors can also be carriers.
How does a hepatitis B infection manifest itself?
The majority of adults who have become infected do not even notice this infection, as it has no symptoms and heals without consequences.
If an acute outbreak of infection does occur, the classic signs are:
- yellowing of the skin
- Dark urine
- pain in the upper abdomen
- body aches
- nausea
- vomiting and
- Diarrhea
In rare cases it can lead to impaired blood clotting and damage to the brain.
A chronic disease is said to exist when the disease lasts longer than six months, which is most common in infected newborns. In extreme cases, chronic hepatitis B can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma, i.e. a malignant cancer that develops from the liver cells, or cirrhosis of the liver, in which tissue changes cause blood circulation and thus also the function of the liver to be permanently disrupted.
How is hepatitis B treated?
In most cases of an acute illness, only the symptoms are treated to relieve the patient’s pain. An acute infection usually heals on its own after some time.
It is different with a chronic course. In this case, the patient has to take medication every day to support the immune system in the fight against the virus. This loss of quality of life can be prevented, for example, by vaccination against hepatitis B.