what is hepatitis B?, its transmission and symptoms. how can it be prevented?
100169
http://www.webmd.com/\n\nHepatitis A, B, and C are viral infections that, combined, affect an estimated 5% to 6% of Americans.\n Hepatitis B is spread in infected blood and other bodily fluids such as semen and vaginal secretions.\n How Do I Know I Have Hepatitis B?\n\nSymptoms of acute infection (when a person is first infected with hepatitis) include:\n\n    * Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes and/or a brownish or orange tint to the urine)\n    * Unusually light colored stool\n    * Unexplained fatigue that persists for weeks or months\n    * Flu-like symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting\n    * Abdominal pain \n\nOften, symptoms occur 1-6 months after exposure. An estimated 30% of those infected do not have any symptoms at all.\n\nPeople with chronic active hepatitis experience similar symptoms, but their fatigue is much more severe, and they can have confusion or disorientation\nPrevention:\n# Get vaccinated (if you have not already been infected)\n# Use condoms every time you have sex\n# Wear gloves when touching or cleaning up body secretions on personal items, such as bandages/band aids, tampons, and linens\n# Cover all open cuts or wounds\n# Do not share razors, toothbrushes, manicuring tools, or pierced earrings with anyone\n# Do not share chewing gum or pre-chew food for a baby\n# Make certain that any needles for drugs, ear piercing, or tattooing are properly sterilized\n# Clean areas with blood on them with 1 part household bleach and 10 parts water
969225
Hepatitis A\n\nFormerly called infectious hepatitis, hepatitis A is most common  in developing countries, but is being seen more frequently in people of all ages and in the developed world. Hepatitis A is thought to be spread by a virus from an infected person's feces directly or indirectly contaminating food, raw shellfish, drinking water, cooking utensils or someone else's fingers. The incubation period is two to six weeks after infection. Hepatitis A is considered an acute condition.\n\nHepatitis B\n\nFormerly called serum hepatitis, hepatitis B is the most serious form of hepatitis.\n\nHepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus and is spread through sexual contact, blood transfusion or exposure to an infected person's blood via cuts, open sores, needle sharing, razor sharing or ear piercing tools. Additionally, hepatitis B can be spread from mother to child at birth. The incubation period is four to 25 weeks.\n\nTherefore in answer to your question, my medical textbook says Hep A can be contracted through contaminated food sources!\n\nHope this helps
103750
Its virus and spread from infection with unsafe sex and infected blood exchange/ transmission from infected person.
256727
Here is a little information on it. Take it very seriously. \n\nHepatitis C, formerly called non-A, non-B hepatitis, is also transmitted by contaminated blood transfusions and by sharing of needles among drug abusers, although in many cases no source can be identified. It is the most common form of chronic liver disease in the United States. Many of those infected have no symptoms but become carriers, and the virus may eventually cause liver damage. Blood banks routinely screen for hepatitis C. Alpha-interferon is used also to treat hepatitis C, in combination with the drug ribavirin.
39766
It depends upon your age and immune function.\n\nChildren are very unlikely to clear the HBV infection if they are born to mothers with HBV. In fact, only about 10% clear the infection and 90% develop chronic HBV. These individuals typically begin to have complications, including liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer earlier in life (20's to 30's)\n\nAdults infected with HBV are more likely to clear the infection.  Approximately 90% of adults will clear the infection (often after several months of symptoms, including jaundice) while only about 10% will develop chronic HBV.\n\nThere is a vaccine and it is now recommended that children be vaccinated so hopefully this will be a distant memory in another 20-30 years.
203055
Hepatitis A, B, and C are viral infections that, combined, affect an estimated 5% to 6% of Americans. \n\nHepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). Hepatitis A usually causes temporary liver inflammation, and most people recover without any long-term liver problems. \n\nOther viruses, most commonly hepatitis B and hepatitis C, also cause hepatitis. Hepatitis A is the most common type of viral hepatitis.\n\nHepatitis B is a serious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Infection with this virus can cause scarring of the liver, liver failure, liver cancer, and even death. \n\nHepatitis B is spread in infected blood and other bodily fluids such as semen and vaginal secretions. \n\nWhat Happens to People With Hepatitis B? \n\nIn most cases (up to 95%), hepatitis B causes limited infection. Usually people manage to fight off the infection successfully within a few months, developing an immunity that lasts a lifetime. (This means you won't get the infection again.) Blood tests show evidence of this immunity, but no signs of active infection. \n\nWhile the majority of hepatitis B patients recover completely, a small percentage of them can't shake the disease and become carriers. Carriers can transmit the disease to others even when their own symptoms have vanished. \n\nSome carriers go on to develop chronic hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis is an ongoing infection of the liver that can lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis, or hardening of the liver, causes liver tissue to scar and stop working. \n\nIf you are carrying the virus you should not donate blood, plasma, body organs, tissue, or sperm. Tell your doctor, dentist, and sex partner that you are a hepatitis B carrier. \n\nHow Common Is Hepatitis B? \n\nApproximately 70,000 Americans contract Hepatitis B each year, making infection with this virus about twice as common as infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. However, rates have greatly declined since the 1980's when around 260,000 Americans were infected each year. This decrease in infection rates is, in large part, due to the increased use of the HBV vaccine. \n\nThere are an estimated 1.25 million people living with chronic Hepatitis B in the U.S.\n\nHow Do I Know I Have Hepatitis B? \n\nSymptoms of acute infection (when a person is first infected with hepatitis) include: \n\nJaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes and/or a brownish or orange tint to the urine) \nUnusually light colored stool \nUnexplained fatigue that persists for weeks or months \nFlu-like symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting \nAbdominal pain \nOften, symptoms occur 1-6 months after exposure. An estimated 30% of those infected do not have any symptoms at all. \n\nPeople with chronic active hepatitis experience similar symptoms, but their fatigue is much more severe, and they can have confusion or disorientation. \n\nHow Is Hepatitis B Diagnosed? \n\nIf your doctor suspects that you may have hepatitis B, he or she will perform a complete physical examination and order blood tests to look at the function of your liver. Hepatitis B is confirmed with blood tests that detect the virus. \n\nIf your disease becomes chronic, liver biopsies (tissue samples) may be obtained to detect the severity of the disease. \n\nHow Is Hepatitis B Treated? \n\nIf you get to a doctor shortly after the exposure, you'll often receive immediate immunization with the Hepatitis B vaccination and a shot to boost the immune system to fight off the infection. \n\nBut if you get sick, bed rest is usually necessary to speed recovery. Some doctors recommend a special diet, and suggest that sufferers try to eat as much as possible despite the nausea. \n\nAlso, take extra care of your liver! Now is not the time to drink alcohol, or take Tylenol (acetaminophen) as they can harm the liver. Check with your doctor before taking any other medications, herbal remedies, or supplements as some of them can worse
249456
It is an obsolete term for hepatitis type B virus. It is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver
348914
to the person above me, hepatitis C is viral, not bacterial so antbiotics wont do anything...\n\nanyway, hepatitis C is primarily transmitted through blood but i think it can be transmitted sexually as well (i might be wrong). If you are not infected, there is pretty much a 0 chance your baby would be born with it. however, your husband might could have possibly given it to you, in which case you should notify your doctor of the situation. if you are postive, im not sure if you would be able to pass it on to your baby or not. there are ways to prevent the baby from contracting hiv from hiv+ mothers so i'd imagine there are ways to prevent hepatitis infection as well. I'm not a medical doctor or hepatitis C expert so i apologize if anything i said turns out to be incorrect; but like i said, if your doctor isnt aware of the situation already you should probably need to discuss this issue with him/her.
1170207
Did you mean: chronic hep b?\n\nHepatitis B: Formally known as serum hepatitis Hep b is transmitted via sexual contact, saliva, contaminated needles used by drug users and exposure to infected blood. Hep B often will progress to a chronic hepatitis without showing signs of active hepatitis. The risk of contracting Hep B can be reduced with a series of vaccines.\n\nChronic hepatitis persists for long periods of time and is classified as either chronic persistent or chronic acute. Chronic persistent hepatitis is usually mild and slow to progress. However, it can become more severe, progressing to chronic acute hepatitis. As liver damage becomes more extensive and severe, chronic active hepatitis can cause cirrhosis, most often resulting in liver failure and even death.\n\nOr did you mean Herpes? \n\nGenital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.
985951
Takes some time for liver enzymes to elevate, could be several months to years. Hep.C. is transmitted via blood. Good time to use condoms :-)
172091
Bed bugs ( Cimex lectularius) can possibly transmit Hepatitis B.
1059968
Hepatitis A \n\nHow you get it: Eating food or drinking water contaminated with feces, or the bowel movement (BM), from a person infected with the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It can also be caused by anal-oral contact. Some examples include: \nEating food contaminated by a person with hepatitis A who prepares food. It can happen if the person did not wash his hands after using the bathroom and then touched the food. \nFrom infected household members or sexual partners \nDiaper changing tables, if not cleaned properly \nEating raw selfish that came from sewage-contaminated water \nWhat it does to your body: While it can cause swelling of the liver, it doesn't normally cause permanent liver damage. \nTreatment: It usually gets better on its own. Almost everyone who gets hepatitis A gets better. \nPrevention: \nGet the hepatitis A vaccine. The vaccine is given in two doses, 6 to 18 months apart. The vaccine is recommended for the following groups: \nTravelers to areas with high rates of hepatitis A \nMen who have sex with men \nInjecting and non-injecting drug users \nPersons with clotting factor disorders, like hemophilia \nPeople with chronic liver disease \nChildren who live in areas that had historically high rates of hepatitis A from 1987-1997 \nGet an immune globulin (IG) shot for short-term protection. If you’re traveling to a place where hepatitis A is common and leaving in less than 4 weeks, an IG shot can temporarily keep you from getting the virus. An IG shot can also be given within 2 weeks after exposure to hepatitis A. \nBe careful about drinking the tap water when traveling internationally. \nWash your hands with soap and water after using the toilet, changing a diaper, and before preparing and eating food. \nPeople who get hepatitis A once will not get it again. \nHepatitis B\n\nHow you get it: Contact with a person infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This can occur through having sex with an infected person, from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth, or through sharing needles with an infected person. \nWhat it does to your body: The liver swells, and liver damage can occur. Most people will get rid of the virus after a few months. Some people are not able to get rid of the virus, which makes the infection chronic, or life-long. This may lead to a scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis, liver failure, and can also lead to liver cancer. \nTreatment: Acute hepatitis B usually gets better on its own. Most people develop immunity to the virus and after recovery, can’t give it to others. Someone with chronic (long-term) hepatitis B still carries the virus and can pass it to others. Chronic hepatitis B can be treated with the drugs interferon, lamivudine, or adefovir. These drugs do not work for everyone. \nPrevention: \nGet the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine is usually given through 3 injections over 6 months. The vaccine is recommended for the following groups: \nAll girls and boys from 0 to 18 years old \nA person whose sex partner has chronic hepatitis B \nMen who have sex with men \nSomeone who has been recently diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease \nPeople with multiple sex partners \nSomeone who shoots drugs \nSomeone who lives with a person with chronic hepatitis B \nPeople whose jobs expose them to human blood \nIf you are having sex, but not with one steady partner, use latex condoms correctly and every time you have sex. Using condoms may lower your risk of getting hepatitis B. \nDon't share anything that could have an infected person's blood on it, like toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers, or washcloths. \nConsider the risks if you are thinking about getting a tattoo or body piercing. You might get infected if the tools have someone else's blood on them or if the artist or piercer does not follow good health practices. \nIf you are a health care or public safety worker, get vaccinated against hepatitis B, and always follow routine barrier precautions and safel
236409
hepatitis B is a disease that can be acquired thru unprotected sex, blood transfusion, needle sharing (drug users...exposure to blood)or organ transplant from infected individual.\nYour test will be non-reactive at a certain point. your body is producing antibodies to each hepatitis marker and they will be the determinant factor if you are still infectious or not. sadly, there is no known cure for hepatitis B. although your test may show negative to the antigen, you can still be a carrier.\nthe best way is to live a healthy life. as long as your body is healthy, you have little to worry. \nand the most important thing is...consult your doctor and have him do a work-up.
1013268
If you are looking for a treatment for Hep B\n\ncheck this link\n\nhttp://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_b/treatment.html
1022787
that is inflamation of the liver, either acute or chronic. There is an A,B,C,and D virus. Causes are alchohal abuse, use of certain chemicals and drugs and autoimmune disorders. Virus A is transmitted by drinking water eating food after that person. Viruses B,C,and D are are usually spread by blood products also spread through sexual contact.there is a vaccine for type B and one in progress for type A( i hope i get best answer)
707996
most people have the hep b virus in their blood when they get vaccinated. if you get a vaccine, then you should show up positive for it. do you mean, what will happen if you get diagnosed with hep b?
1083811
Patients suffering from Hepatitis, don't become cured they loose the jaundice  as their liver fights off the conditions that weakened the organ in the first place, but the Hepatitis bug remains in their blood indefinitely. After suffering this disease the first time, your body will build up an immunity against it, but you wouldn't be curred. If sometime in the future you were to eat poorly, not get adequate rest, and wear yourself down, Hepatitis could attack your liver again and jaundice and effects of a weakened  liver could resurface again.  That is the main reason why Blood donors may not have ever had Hepatitis.