The virus is passed from person to person through blood, semen or other body fluids.
pain in your belly. You can't get hepatitis B from the vaccine.Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Most infants and children who acquire acute hepatitis B viral infection have no symptoms. In these individuals, the immune system fails to mount a vigorous response to the virus. That means you can't get it again. This will tell him how severe your case is.If you think youâve been exposed to the virus, get to a doctor as soon as possible.
If you have it for more than 6 months, youâre whatâs called a carrier, even if you donât have symptoms. The numbers arenât so good for those younger than 5 (25% to 50%) and even higher for infants infected at birth (90%).As many as 1.4 million people in the U.S. are carriers of the virus.If your doctor thinks you have it, heâll give you a complete physical exam. Signs and symptoms of hepatitis B range from mild to severe. This means you can give the disease to someone else through:Doctors donât know why, but the disease does go away in a small number of carriers. It scars over and stops working. For others, it becomes whatâs known as chronic. Some people, usually young children, may not have any symptoms.If you know you've been exposed to hepatitis B, contact your doctor immediately.
You should also get the shot if you:There is no cure for hepatitis B.
It does not spread by sneezing or coughing.Hepatitis B infection may be either short-lived (acute) or long lasting (chronic).The younger you are when you get hepatitis B — particularly newborns or children younger than 5 — the higher your risk of the infection becoming chronic. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. It can be acute and resolve without treatment. Hepatitis B symptoms typically last for a few weeks, but can sometimes stick around for months. Heâll test your blood to see if your liver is inflamed. Itâs spread when people come in contact with the blood, open sores, or body fluids of someone who has the hepatitis B virus.It's serious, but if you get the disease as an adult, it shouldnât last a long time. That means you have an ongoing liver infection. Infants and children are more likely to develop a chronic (long-lasting) hepatitis B infection.A vaccine can prevent hepatitis B, but there's no cure if you have the condition. They usually appear about one to four months after you've been infected, although you could see them as early as two weeks post-infection.
The term hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. All rights reserved.
Some people, usually young children, may not have any symptoms. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. Having chronic hepatitis B increases your risk of developing liver failure, liver cancer or cirrhosis — a condition that permanently scars of the liver.Most adults with hepatitis B recover fully, even if their signs and symptoms are severe. If you have hepatitis B symptoms and high levels of If your disease becomes chronic, your doctor might take a tissue sample from your liver, called a biopsy.
“Two to four weeks after exposure to the virus, you may experience fatigue, loss of appetite, dark urine and jaundice,” Bowlus says.
About a third of the people who have this disease donât.
Some people also get liver cancer.If youâre a carrier or are infected with hepatitis B, donât donate blood, plasma, body organs, tissue, or sperm. Rates have dropped from an average of 200,000 per year in the 1980s to around 20,000 in 2016. However, some forms … During early infection, healthy people may not develop signs and symptoms of hepatitis B infection. For some people, hepatitis B infection becomes chronic, meaning it lasts more than six months. They usually appear about one to four months after you've been infected, although you could see them as early as two weeks post-infection.
When people do show signs of hepatitis B, the first ones usually show up between 6 weeks and 6 months after they got the virus. He may prescribe some of these medications to treat it:If youâre pregnant, you might pass the virus to your baby at birth. However, you are still contagious, even without symptoms … This protein boosts your If you do get sick, your doctor may put you on bed rest to help you get better faster.Youâll have to give up things that can hurt your liver, like alcohol and acetaminophen. The earlier you get treatment, the better. Symptoms of hepatitis B may not appear for 3 months after exposure and can last for 2–12 weeks. Your risk of hepatitis B infection increases if you:Having a chronic HBV infection can lead to serious complications, such as:The hepatitis B vaccine is typically given as three or four injections over six months. All newborns with infected mothers should get hepatitis B immune globulin and the vaccine for hepatitis at birth and during their first year of life.To help keep a hepatitis B infection from spreading:Donated blood is tested for the virus, so your chances of getting the disease from a transfusion are low. People between the ages of 20 and 49 are most likely to get it.Only 5% to 10% of adults and children older than 5 who have hepatitis B end up with a chronic infection. Check with your doctor before taking any other drugs, herbal treatments, or supplements. Others may have fever, joint pains, fatigue, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, and yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes . Also, eat a healthy diet.If the infection goes away, the doctor will tell you youâre an inactive carrier. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. Heâll give you a vaccine and a shot of hepatitis B immune globulin.