hepatitis B

Hepatitis B
Monica Devi X4-15

Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) which infects the liver of hominoidea, including humans, and causes an inflammation called hepatitis.

The symptoms of hepatitis B are:

• Fever

The fever is not a high fever. It’s just a mild fever. So, many people don’t realize if they have hepatitis.

• Muscles and joints aches
  

Their muscle and joints become aches when they try to exercise or just simply move their body.

• Yellow skin, yellow eyes, and dark urine (called jaundice)

This is the characteristic of hepatitis B. Their eyes, skin, and urine this symptom called jaundice.

• Itchy skin
  

The skin fell so itchy. But most of people think it’s just ordinary ache. Feel so tired for a long period They fell so tired. Usually, it’s for a long period, more than 3 weeks.

• Headache
  

Headache is the early symptom of hepatitis. Many people neglect it.

• Loss of appetite They don’t want to eat.
  

So, they become very weak and easy to sick.

The causes of hepatitis B are:

• Blood transfusion or direct contact with blood

If infected people transfusion their blood to healthy people, the recipient will infected too.

• Sexual contact

Sexual contact with infected people without condom can spread HBV. HBV also can spread with other body fluids like blood, semen, vagina fluids, and spittle.

• Shared needles

When use drug, making tattoo Not sterile needles can spread HBV. Shared needles with infected people can spread HBV.

• Sharing personal items

Sharing personal items like toothbrushes, nail clippers, razors, etc with infected person can spread HBV because maybe it’s containing body fluids from infected person.

• From mother to child

Mother that currently have hepatitis B can infected her infants when childbirth. HBV can transmit between family members within households.

The effects of hepatitis B are:

• Liver cirrhosis

Hepatitis B increase risk of liver cirrhosis.

• Liver cancer

A fatal disease caused by hepatitis B.

• Liver Inflammation

When liver cirrhosis becomes acute, it’s will turn into liver into liver inflammation.

• Liver failure

The worst possibility of hepatitis B is liver failure. This can increase death possibility.

Treatments for Hepatitis B are:

• Bed rest

If the hepatitis is not acute, sometimes bed rest can help. Some people can clear the infection. Adult can full recovery and develop protective immunity to the virus.

• Many drinks and eat healthy foods

Because, when you infected, you loss of appetite and you don’t have enough nutrition. So, you must repair it with many drinks and eat healthy foods.

• Take medicine

Like epivir, hepsera, viread, tyzeka, baraclude, pegasys. It’s so expensive and not available in developing countries like Indonesia.

• Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy just can prolong live for a few years.

• Surgery then liver transplant

Find someone that wants to donate his liver is so difficult. Beside that, it’s so expensive and just can prolong live for a few years. Moreover, the success is varying.

Preventions for hepatitis B are:

• Hepatitis B vaccine

All children should have hepatitis B vaccine at their birth or 6 months. But, if their mothers already have hepatitis, the baby must have vaccine within 12 hours.

• Avoid sexual contact, use condom

Avoid sexual contact with infected person. Or, if you don’t know, whether your partner infected or not, always use condom.

• Avoid sharing personal items

Always have your own personal items.

• Don’t use shared needles

It’s not sterile. Ask your doctor to use one needle for one use.