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Author:
David Snape

Hepatitis B remains one of those scary terms that you occasionally hear health care professionals use. You also hear about this somewhat mysterious disease in the media from time to time. But just what is Hepatitis B and what should we know about it?

Hepatitis B is a DNA virus that can be found in the blood. It attacks the liver. A name you may run across is HBV, which is short for Hepatitis B Virus. The term, hepatitis, means inflammation of the liver.

What is important to know when considering how HBV is spread is that, as far as we know, it is transmitted mainly via blood contact. To be a little more specific, infection can occur when the blood from an infected person enters the body. Other body fluids can also contain HBV, but usually in much lower concentrations. It is possible to receive HBV via a bite from an infected person. It is suspected that the sharing of toothbrushes or razors might allow for an infection to be contracted.

HBV is also a sexually transmitted disease. The usual increased risk factors for other sexually transmitted diseases apply here as well. For example, promiscuous and homosexual behavior may increase the chances for infection.

People who are hemophiliacs are also at higher risk as well as those who live with a person who has a chronic HBV infection. Having a job that involves contact with blood can also put you at increased risk for obvious reasons. Drug use is another risk factor.

It is possible for your body to fight off an HBV infection. If that happens you will be free of the virus and you will eventually not even test positive for the HBV surface antigen in your blood. An antigen is simply defined as a substance that causes the production of antibodies. And antibodies are those proteins that are used by your body to get rid of antigens. You might have guessed that a blood test can show if a person is suffering from a HBV infection.

Some peoples’ bodies do not fight the infection off completely and they suffer from chronic hepatitis. The virus remains in the body for the long term. This type of person can infect others. Currently, it is estimated that 1.25 million people in the United States suffer from a chronic Hepatitis B infection.

There are vaccines to help prevent a HBV infection and there are drugs that can be used to fight an infection. Interestingly enough, a vaccine can be useful after a possible HBV infection to help prevent the disease from developing. Check with your doctor to get current recommendations on HBV vaccinations.

Often times a Hepatitis B infection can pass without the person even being aware that they had it. Sometimes there are no symptoms. There can also be symptoms ranging from very minor to very serious. On relatively rare occasions, a Hepatitis B infection can cause death, though this happens to a very small percentage of infected individuals.

This article is for information purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat, or prevent any health condition. Seek the advice of a qualified medical professional if you have or think you might have any health condition, including Hepatitis B.

David Snape writes for All Things Pondered: http://allthingspondered.com - where you can have your say and (almost) anything is pondered. He also writes for To Be Informed: http://tobeinformed.com - a site supportive of health, fitness and wellness.

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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Hepatitis... Hepatitis - Be Sure To Wash Your Hands Hepatitis is a Latin word, that means liver inflammation. It's usually the result of destroyed liver cells and inflamed cells in the liver tissue. Hepatitis can be caused by diseases that primarily attack the liver cells and can be listed into one of two groups, depending on how long the disease lasts. Acute hepatitis lasts less than six months, while chronic hepatitis will continue to last for more than six months. Most cases of hepatitis, are due to some form of viral infection. Some of these infections include hepatitis A, which is an acute form and can be transferred through contaminated food and drinking water. It can also be spread through contact with an infected person. Hepatitis B can produce both acute and chronic hepatitis and can be transmitted through blood, which can include transfusions or infected needles. Sexual contact with an infected person can also lead to hepatitis B. Hepatitis C can be transferred through blood and sexual contact with an infected person. Hepatitis C can become a chronic form of hepatitis and eventually lead to cirrhosis. There is a vaccine for Hepatitis A and B but unfortunately, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C. Hepatitis A, B and C are familiar names to most people, but there are other ways to get hepatitis. Ethanol, which is found in alcoholic drinks, can cause hepatitis. Alcoholic hepatitis can be mild or severe. People who drink alcohol in excess may also increase their chances of getting hepatitis C. Alcoholic hepatitis does not lead to cirrhosis, but cirrhosis is more common in people, who've been drinking alcohol for a long period of time. Some drugs have also been known to cause hepatitis and these include troglitazone, halothane and isoniazid. In the case of acute hepatitis, there maybe some...