Hepatitis B history and symptoms

Revision as of 16:34, 8 February 2012 by Varun Kumar (talk | contribs) (Created page with "{{Hepatitis B}} {{CMG}}; '''Associate Editor In Chief:''' {{CZ}} == History and Symptoms== Sometimes a person with HBV infection has no symptoms at all. The older you are, t...")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Hepatitis Main Page

Hepatitis B

Home

Patient Information

Overview

Historical Perspective

Pathophysiology

Causes

Differentiating Hepatitis B from other Diseases

Epidemiology and Demographics

Risk Factors

Screening

Natural History, Complications and Prognosis

Diagnosis

Diagnostic Criteria

History and Symptoms

Physical Examination

Laboratory Findings

CT

MRI

Ultrasound

Treatment

Medical Therapy

Surgery

Primary Prevention

Secondary Prevention

Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy

Future or Investigational Therapies

Case Studies

Case #1

Hepatitis B history and symptoms On the Web

Most recent articles

Most cited articles

Review articles

CME Programs

Powerpoint slides

Images

American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Hepatitis B history and symptoms

All Images
X-rays
Echo & Ultrasound
CT Images
MRI

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse

NICE Guidance

FDA on Hepatitis B history and symptoms

CDC on Hepatitis B history and symptoms

Hepatitis B history and symptoms in the news

Blogs on Hepatitis B history and symptoms

Directions to Hospitals Treating Hepatitis B

Risk calculators and risk factors for Hepatitis B history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor In Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]

History and Symptoms

Sometimes a person with HBV infection has no symptoms at all. The older you are, the more apt you are to have symptoms. You might be infected with HBV (and be spreading the virus) and not know it.

Symptoms might include:

Hepatitis B virus infection may either be acute (self-limited) or chronic (long-standing). Persons with self-limited infection clear the infection spontaneously within weeks to months.

Children are less likely than adults to clear the infection. More than 95% of people who become infected as adults or older children will stage a full recovery and develop protective immunity to the virus. However, only 5% of newborns that acquire the infection from their mother at birth will clear the infection. Of those infected between the age of one to six, 70% will clear the infection. When the infection is not cleared, one becomes a chronic carrier of the virus.

Acute infection with hepatitis B virus is associated with acute viral hepatitis - an illness that begins with general ill-health, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, body aches, mild fever, dark urine, and then progresses to development of jaundice. It has also been noted that itchy skin all over the body has been an indication as a possible symptom of all hepatitis virus types. The illness lasts for a few weeks and then gradually improves in most affected people. A few patients may have more severe liver disease (fulminant hepatic failure), and may die as a result of it. The infection may also be entirely asymptomatic and may go unrecognized.

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus may be either asymptomatic or may be associated with a chronic inflammation of the liver (chronic hepatitis), leading to cirrhosis over a period of several years. This type of infection dramatically increases the incidence of liver cancer.

Hepatitis D infection usually only occurs with a concomitant infection with hepatitis B.[1] Co-infection with hepatitis D increases the risk of liver cirrhosis and subsequently, liver cancer.

Polyarteritis nodosa is more common in people with hepatitis B infection.

References

  1. Lok A. Hepatitis D virus infection and liver transplantation. uptodate.com. Retrieved on September 11, 2007.

Template:WH Template:WS