What does active hep B mean?
489695
It means you are infected with hepatitis B and it is actively destroying cells in your body.  Go to the doctor and do whatever he tells you to do!
575342
There are currently several treatments for chronic hepatitis B that can increase a person's chance of clearing the infection. Treatments are available in the form of antivirals such as lamivudine and adefovir and immune system modulators such as interferon alpha. There are several other antivirals under investigation. Roughly, all of the currently available treatments, when used alone, are about equally efficacious. However, some individuals are much more likely to respond than others. It does not appear that combination therapy offers any advantages.[4] In general, each works by reducing the viral load by several orders of magnitude thus helping a body's immune system clear the infection. Treatment strategies should be individualized by a doctor and patient. Considerations include the risks associated with each treatment, a person's likelihood of clearing the virus with treatment, a person's risk for developing complications of persistent infection, and development of viral resistance with some of the treatments.\n\nOn March 29, 2005, the US FDA approved Entecavir for the treatment of hepatitis B.\n\nOn February 25, 2005, the EU Commission approved PEGASYS for the treatment of hepatitis B making it the first pegylated interferon to be approved for hepatitis B.\n\nChronic carriers should be strongly encouraged to avoid consuming alcohol as it increases their risk for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer).\n\nInfants born to mothers known to carry hepatitis B can be treated with antibodies to the hepatitis B virus (hepatitis B immune globulin or HBIg). When given with the vaccine within twelve hours of birth, the risk of acquiring hepatitis B is reduced 95%. This treatment also allows a mother to safely breastfeed her child.\n\nAn individual exposed to the virus who has never been vaccinated may be treated with HBIg immediately following the exposure. For instance, a health care worker accidentally stuck by a needle used in a hepatitis B carrier would qualify. Treatment must be soon after exposure, however.
511231
They're not far enough out of range to worry about. I have 3 dfferent books with different sets of ranges. If the WBC was really high, that would indicate some type of infection. Platelets are a blood clotting factor. Bilirubin is a reference to liver function. High levels indicate that the old bloodcells are not being broken down and 'recycled' by the liver. In adults this shows up as hemolytic anemia and in newborns as jaundice.
229707
Hepatitis is an inflamation of the liver.\nIt is contracted in the same way HIV is- contact with infected bidily fluids. ie: sexually, blood to blood.\nShortly after contracting it you may have a mild flu type symptoms- fatigue, body aches etc. The symptoms are generally mild and not serious enough to take you to a doctor. The infection can then be asymptomatic for many years even decades, all the time damaging your liver and you have no idea.\nWhen you are eventually feeling ill enough to go to the doctor the liver is generally so damaged that there is nothing to be done. At this stage you may be jaundised (yellow tint to the skin cause by excess bilirubin) nauseated or vomiting, greatly fatigues.\nhep C will eventually cause your liver to have chirrosis, it will eventually fail and you will die, it is fatal.\nJust for a heads up one of the most common causes of Hep C is body piercing.\nUse precautions when having sex, use a condom, do not get body piercing, if someone elses bodily fluids splash into an area that you have a break in the skin get tested and have the person whos fluid splashed tested also. If the first test is negative, don't stop there keep getting retested for up to a year to be sure the virus isnt in your system.
1079428
When people are diagnosed with Hep C, the doctor will order a VIRAL LOAD which reports exactly how much of the virus exists in the body.  A high viral load means that the person has more of the virus in their system.  Conversely, if someone has a low viral load, they have a low amount of the virus in their system...\nI am assuming your husband went through the Intereferon treatments to interefere with the progression of the virus.  If this is the case....\nObviously you know that throughout treatment your husband went in for periodic blood tests.  The doctor was checking his viral load which tells how well the treatment is working.  As long as your husband's viral load was decreasing, it means the treatment was effective.  There becomes a point where the Hep C viral load becomes indetectable.... meaning the viral load is basically 0.  This doesn't mean that it is cured, as your husband will always run the risk of having the virus become active again, but at this point he has no detectable Hep Viral particles in his system.  So for all intents and purposes, he is cured.  At this point he is less contageous than before.  Technically if he has no virus in his system, he cannot pass it along.  \nI hope this informations helps and good luck to you and your husband in the future!!!!  Congrats!
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.
222981
Vertical transmission (from mother to baby) is one of common routes of transmission of viral hepatitis B. However, the newborn will only get infection during the labour. Therefore, giving IMMUNOGLOBULIN against HBV at birth will prevent infection of the newborn (the same method is given to those medical professionals have needle-prick injury from HBV patient). Of course, the infant should also be given with HBV vaccine at birth, 1 month and 6 months old.\nDon't worry about it. Contact your obstetrican and he/she will arrange it!
725326
A smooth muscle antibody test is positive in some autoimmune disorders, such as chronic active hepatitis. Antibody titre indicates the quantity of antibodies present. This may be useful in monitoring the response to treatment. In autoimmune disorders, the body forms antibodies against its own tissues.
586388
Hepatitis B can be cured is some cases, resolve on it's own in some cases, becomes an asymptomatic carrier of the virus in some cases, or become a serious chronic disease with the potential of causing liver cancer. Only a physician can run the blood tests that will tell you what your situation might be. Here is a good CDC link for basic info.\n\nhttp://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/faqb.htm
570097
Treatment\nAlpha-interferons were the first drugs approved in the United States for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Interferon treatment is recommended for individuals who have "replicative disease" (HBeAg positive). About 40% of such individuals will lose serum HBeAg after 16 weeks of treatment with interferon-alpha. Loss of HBeAg is correlated with an improved prognosis. A few treated patients (less than 10%) may even be cured as assessed by the loss of HBsAg.\nPatients treated with interferon-alpha should have evidence of infection with hepatitis B virus, documented by the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen in the blood, for six months. The patients should also have evidence of virus replication, documented by the presence of hepatitis B e antigen in the blood. Ongoing inflammation of the liver should also be present as documented by an elevation in serum aminotransferase activities. A liver biopsy should also be performed prior to treatment. Patients with severe, decompensated liver disease (eg. encephalopathy, ascites, very high serum bilirubin, prolonged prothrombin time, etc.) should not generally be treated with interferon alfa except in the setting of an approved clinical study. \n\nThe recommended dose of interferon alfa-2b for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B is 5,000,000 units daily, administered by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, for a total of 16 weeks. The patient must be monitored carefully during the treatment period for side effects including flu-like symptoms, depression, rashes, other reactions and abnormal blood counts. \n\nA meta-analysis of several randomized trials of interferon alfa-2b in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B showed such treatment to be cost-effective (Wong et al. Annals Intern. Med. 1995;122:664-675). This analysis showed that treatment with interferon alfa-2b decreased viral replication, documented by loss of serum hepatitis B e antigen, in about 45% of patients compared to less than 10 % of untreated patients. About 8% of patients also lost hepatitis B virus surface antigen (cured) within one year of treatment compared to a rate of about 1% a year for untreated patients. \n\nOther treatment options for chronic hepatitis B include nucleoside analogues. In December, 1998, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved lamivudine , also known as 3TC and is also effective against HIV, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (patients who are HBeAg positive). Lamivudine is taken orally at 100 mg/day for chronic hepatitis B. In studies where they were compared, lamivudine was equally effective to interferon-alpha in inducing a loss of serum HBeAg. It also has been shown to improve liver biopsy results in patients treated for one year. In September 2002, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved adevofir dipivoxil, another nucleoside analogue also effective against HIV, for the treatment of hepatitis B. The dose is 10 mg/day for chronic hepatitis B. At the present time, other nucleoside analogues are being studied in clinical trials. The combination of interferon-alpha and a nucleodide analogue, two nucleoside analogues together (such as lamivudine and adefovir) are also under investigation.
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
1118369
You should only need three shots for Hep B vaccine.  The first two at least a month apart and the third at least 4 months after the second.  If you don't get all three, you would be considerred still succeptible to Hepatitis B, which can cause liver failure.  It may affect you if you need the vaccine for work.   \n\nHope you get the last one, should not be a big deal.  It does not matter how long you wait, as long as it is 4 months after the second.
52075
Some people can clear the virus naturally (immune system) and have evidence of past infection, but do not have ongoing viral replication (detectable hepatitis viral load). In fact, most people infected as adults are able to clear the virus (about 85% clear the infection when infected as an adult). Newborns and children are often unable to clear the infection, leading to risk of disease progression.\n\nThere are vaccines available for Hepatitis B so the numbers of new infections are declining.\n\nThere are treatments for Hepatitis B - these include Pegasys, a pegylated interferon medicine that is injected under the skin once weekly or oral agents. The oral agents include Entecavir (Baraclude) or Adefovir (Hepsera). A new agent is being studied - Telbivudine.\n\nThere are different types of Hepatitis B: eAg-positive and eAg-negative. This impacts how long patients receive treatment. Typically eAg-positive patients are treated until the virus is no longer detectable plus about 6-12 months and then the medicine can be stopped. eAg-negative patients usually are treated for life.\n\nTalk with your doctor to find more information.
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
249033
My husband had Hep b from when he was really sick at age 8, he doesnt remember what happened or exactly how he got it. Last year he had to be tested for everything as he wanted to get Permantent Residency in Australia. When he got the results back they said that he no longer has Hep b. I thought no way can he previously have it, then now he doesnt. How does that work?
302604
If they did an HIV viral load than it would indicate that you currently have active HIV virus in your blood. There are other viral loads that could have been performed ie Hepatitis C,B,or A viral loads. So if it was an HIV viral load that was performed with a result of 600 copies or more it would generally indicate that the patient is HIV positive there is the posibility of a false positive. If it is the first test that has been done I would suggest a repeat analysis and an HIV genotype. And talk with your doctor about your lab results not us schmos on the Q&A make sure you know what you're being tested for.
797389
mcc_md@yahoo.com for more info\n\nThere is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B; in 95 percent of adults, the immune system controls the infection and eliminates the virus within about six months. In people who develop chronic hepatitis, the goals of treatment are to stop the virus from multiplying while liver damage is still reversible.\n\nGeneral measures — All persons infected with chronic hepatitis B should be vaccinated against hepatitis A unless they are already known to be immune. Pneumococcal vaccine and yearly influenza vaccination should be considered in patients who have developed cirrhosis.\n\nRegular screening for liver cancer is also recommended, particularly for older individuals, those with cirrhosis, and patients with family history of liver cancer. In general, this entails an annual or biannual ultrasound examination and blood test for serum alpha fetoprotein level (a protein frequently produced by liver tumors, which is detectable in blood). The best approach to screening for liver cancer has not been determined.\n\nAntiviral therapy — Four currently available drugs slow or stop multiplication of the hepatitis B virus: lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir and interferon-alpha. Not all hepatitis B patients will benefit from approved treatments. The physician and the patient should discuss treatment options after a careful assessment of the individual's conditions. Regular monitoring is needed during treatment to assess for response, side effects and drug resistance, and for relapse after treatment is stopped. Regular monitoring is also needed if treatment is deferred, as some patients may benefit from treatment when the hepatitis becomes more active later on.\n\nLamivudine — Lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) is a good first treatment for people with chronic hepatitis B who have detectable virus activity and ongoing liver inflammation. Lamivudine is also appropriate for people who have had a poor response to interferon-alpha, people who have worsening cirrhosis, and people who experience sudden liver failure.\n\nStudies suggest that long-term treatment with lamivudine (treatment for at least one year) decreases virus levels and reduces inflammation of the liver.\n\nLamivudine is taken orally, usually at a dosage of 100 mg/day, for at least one year. Although it is very safe, the drug can trigger a flare of hepatitis in some people and can also be associated with uncommon side effects that you should discuss with your doctor. The major problem with lamivudine is that a resistant form of hepatitis B virus (referred to as a YMDD mutant) frequently develops in patients on long-term treatment. Appearance of the mutant virus may be accompanied by a marked increase in virus level and a flare of hepatitis, and in rare instances liver failure. As new drugs with lower rates of drug resistance become available, lamivudine is used less commonly in patients who require long-term treatment.\n\nAdefovir — Adefovir (Hepsera) is an alternative initial choice for people who have detectable virus activity and ongoing liver inflammation. An advantage of adefovir compared to lamivudine is that resistance to the drug occurs at much lower rates. In addition, adefovir can suppress lamivudine- resistant hepatitis B mutants. Adefovir has been associated with kidney problems when used in high doses or for long durations, so kidney function needs to be checked before and during treatment.\n\nAdefovir is taken orally, at a dosage of 10 mg/day, for at least one year. Most patients will need long-term treatment to maintain control of the hepatitis B virus.\n\nEntecavir — Entecavir (Baraclude) is another choice for people who have detectable virus activity and ongoing liver inflammation. It is a relatively new drug so its benefits and safety are still being determined. An advantage compared with lamivudine and adefovir is its greater potency against the hepatitis B virus. So far, resistance seems to be very rare. A disadvantage is its