What I Need to Know About Hepatitis B
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What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a liver disease.
Hepatitis (HEP-ah-TY-tis) makes your liver swell and stops it from working
right.
You need a healthy
liver. The liver does many things to keep you alive. The liver fights infections
and stops bleeding. It removes drugs and other poisons from your blood. The
liver also stores energy for when you need it.
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What causes
Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is caused by a virus.
A virus is a germ
that causes sickness. (For example, the flu is caused by a virus.) People can
pass viruses to each other. The virus that causes Hepatitis B is called the
Hepatitis B virus.
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How could I get Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is spread by contact with an infected person's blood, semen or other
body fluid.
You could get
Hepatitis B by:
-
having
sex with an infected person without using a condom
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sharing drug needles
-
having
a tattoo or body piercing done with dirty tools that were used on
someone else
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getting pricked with a needle that has infected blood on it
(healthcare workers can get Hepatitis B this way)
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living
with someone who has Hepatitis B
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sharing a toothbrush or razor with an infected person
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traveling to countries where Hepatitis B is common
An infected woman can give Hepatitis B to her baby at birth or through her
breast milk.
You can NOT get
Hepatitis B by:
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shaking hands with an infected person
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hugging an infected person
-
sitting next to an infected person
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What are the symptoms?
Hepatitis B can make you feel like you have the flu.
You
might:
Some
people have:
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Dark yellow urine
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Light-colored stools
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Yellowish eyes and skin
Some
people don't have any symptoms.
If you have symptoms or think you might have
Hepatitis B, go to a doctor.
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What are the tests for Hepatitis B?
To check
for Hepatitis B, the doctor will test your blood.
These tests show if you have Hepatitis B
and how serious it is.
The doctor may
also do a liver biopsy.
A biopsy is a simple test. The
doctor removes a tiny piece of your liver through a needle. The doctor
checks the piece of liver for signs of Hepatitis B and liver damage.
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How is Hepatitis B treated?
Treatment for Hepatitis B may involve:
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A drug called interferon (in-ter-FEAR-on).
It is given through shots. Most people are treated for 4 months.
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A
drug called lamivudine (la-MIV-you-deen). You take it by mouth
once a day. Treatment is usually for one year.
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A
drug call adefovir dipivoxil (uh-DEH-foh-veer dih-pih-VOX-ill).
You take it by mouth once a day. Treatment is usually for one year.
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Surgery. Over time, Hepetitis B may cause your liver to stop
working. If that happens, you will need a new liver. The surgery is
called a liver transplant. It involves taking out the old, damaged
liver and putting a new, healthy one from a donor.
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