Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatitis B
It is important to get Hepatitis B testing if you think you may have contracted the virus. There is no cure for the virus, but treatments are available for those who are chronically infected. If you believe you have been exposed to the virus, or are displaying symptoms of Hepatitis B, it is important to go for testing. Left untreated, Hepatitis B can cause cirrhosis, liver disease, liver cancer, and death.Diagnosis and Testing
In order to diagnose the disease, your doctor will perform a few simple blood tests. These blood tests can determine if you are infected with Hepatitis B and how much damage it has done to your system. One blood test looks for the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in your blood. This antigen appears in your blood immediately after you become infected with Hepatitis B. It is the first sign of hepatitis infection. This antigen will disappear in 1 to 2 months.
A different test can also be performed in order to look for the Hepatitis B core antibody (Anti-HBc) in your blood. This antibody appears 1 to 2 weeks after the HBsAg has disappeared. Another blood test can be done to test for immunization or previous infection. This is known as the hepatitis B surface antibody (Anti-HBs). It is only found in people who have previously been infected with Hepatitis B or who have received the HBV vaccine.
Your doctor may also elect to perform other Hepatitis B testing to determine the extent of any damage that may have been caused by the infection. A blood test can be done in order to evaluate your liver's function. Low albumin levels or high levels of liver enzymes may indicate liver damage. In some cases, a liver biopsy will be performed to determine the extent of this damage. The biopsy is taken using a needle.
Depending upon what your doctor finds, you will either be cleared or be diagnosed as having a certain type of Hepatitis. If you test positive for HBsAg, you will be diagnosed with acute Hepatitis B. Acute Hepatitis B generally goes away without treatment, as do the symptoms of acute Hepatitis B.. If you repeatedly test positive for HBsAg, you will be diagnosed with chronic Hepatitis B. Treatments are available for some chronic Hepatitis B carriers.
Treatment
There is no cure for Hepatitis B. The best way to prevent the disease is by getting the Hepatitis B vaccine. If you are properly vaccinated, you are safe from the virus for life. Abstinence is another way to prevent contracting the disease.
Interferon Alpha (IFN) is available to some chronic sufferers of Hepatitis B. If you are a chronic Hepatitis B carrier, you may be given injections of IFN in order to slow the development of the disease and prevent further liver damage. IFN is not suitable for all patients though, and can cause side effects like nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, weight loss, and depression. If you are taking IFN, your doctor will monitor your white blood cells, platelets, and liver enzymes to be sure that the drug isn't having a negative impact on them. The drug Lamivudine is also being used to treat chronic Hepatitis B carriers, especially in cases where IFN isn't suitable.
Babies that have contracted the virus from their mother are treated as soon as they are born because pregnant women cannot take Hepatitis B treatments. Babies are given Hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours of birth. They are also given the Hepatitis B vaccine.For those who have suffered extreme liver damage or liver failure, the only treatment available is a liver transplant. If you have liver failure, you will be placed in the Intensive Care Unit at your hospital where your liver function will be closely monitored. If your liver is damaged it will have difficulty processing proteins, so lactulose or neomycin supplements will be administered to you orally to help limit your body's protein production.
