|
What is Hepatitis B? Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus, which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV), can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. Hepatitis B vaccine is available for all age groups to prevent hepatitis B virus infection. What are the Symptoms of Hepatitis B? About 30% of persons have no signs or symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of hepatitis B are: jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, dark-colored urine, yellowish tinged skin and eyes. What
Causes Hepatitis B? How is Hepatitis B Transmitted? Transmission of Hepatitis B occurs when blood or body fluids from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not immune. It is most often spread by having sex with an infected person without using a condom, sharing needles or "works" when "shooting" drugs, through needlesticks or sharps exposures on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth. Risks of Developing Hepatitis B Some of the risks for developing Hepatitis B are: having multiple sex partners or diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease, men who have sex with men, Sex contacts of infected persons, Injection drug use, household contacts of chronically infected persons. Can Hepatitis B be Prevented? Yes. The best prevention is the Hepatitis B vaccine. Can Hepatitis B be Treated? Hepatitis B can be treated . Treatment will depend on the severity of the infection. Discuss your options with your doctor.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Health Topics: Mama wants to help: Food Bank programs 10 Simple exercise Secrets you can do at home Hunger: the problem that no one wants to talk about What no one will tell you about tummy tuck surgery Can you tell your husband to stop sleeping with my wife? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Information obtained from MamasHealth.com should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner, nor should it be inferred as such. Always check with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about a specific condition.
Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms
of Use. If you want a review of your product featured on MamasHealth.com, let us know. ©2000 - 2009 MamasHealth, Inc.. All rights reserved | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||