What is hepatitis B?
Infection from the hepatitis B virus is a disease that can present itself as an uncomplicated viral infection that lasts a few weeks, or become a chronic infection. The means of transmission are varied: I) infection at the time of birth from infected mothers, II) transmission through blood, semen, or other body fluids through sexual contact or sharing needles or syringes with an infected individual.
What are its symptoms?
The range of symptoms varies, if it is an acute infection (that is, recent) or a chronic infection. In recent infections, patients can present symptoms such as general malaise, nausea, vomiting, fever, a yellowy hue of the white part of the eyes that can persist for a few weeks. The recent infection can be transitory, or it can evolve into the chronic stage.
In the chronic stage, patients may go from being asymptomatic to presenting symptoms of a more advanced disease such as a general weakness, yellowy and persistent colouration of the eyes and skin, weight loss, presence of abdominal liquid (ascites), or digestive haemorrhaging due to the breaking of varices in the oesophagus.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor will indicate whether you have an acute or chronic infection from HBV through a blood analysis where several antibodies will be requested, and if necessary, the quantification of the amount of virus in the serum.
What is the prognosis and treatment?
The progression of acute or chronic hepatitis from HBV depends on the patient’s age at the time of infection.
The probability that the infection becomes chronic is 90% in cases of infection at the time of birth, and 5% if the infection occurred during adulthood.
Treatment depends on a series of factors such as age, alterations in the hepatic function objectified in a blood analysis, and the degree of hepatic affectation evaluated through non-invasive tests such as the hepatic transition Elastography (FibroScan CAP ®) or through a hepatic biopsy.
In general, acute hepatitis requires specialized medical assessment and monitoring for the diagnosis and a strict control over the evolution in order to avoid complications. Depending on several factors such as age, the degree of inflammatory activity or the viral load, your doctor will indicate whether or not you require treatment.
Treatment for chronic hepatitis B is done with oral antiviral medication to control the disease and halt or prevent the progression of advanced damage to the liver. In select cases, treatments with Interferon can be employed. Current antiviral treatment is very effective in controlling the disease. However, the treatment period is personally indicated individually for each patient.