Health series; Hepatitis B virus (HBV)

Greetings to everyone and a warm welcome to another episode of health series, its my pleasure doing this. On the previous episode, I gave a general overview on hepatitis while also explaining in detail everything about hepatitis A. You can have a look on my blog for more.

So today, I'll be writing on Hepatitis B, another member of the hepatitis family, this particular type is more serious than hepatitis A and most time leads to liver scarring, if not diagnosed early.

what is hepatitis B

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Hepatitis B is a severe and complicated infection of the liver caused by the viral strain of hepatitis B (HBV). It can be an acute or chronic disease depending on the duration of the infection.

According to world health organisation (WHO), about 320 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B. In 2019 alone, 820,000 dead were reported and attributed to HBV, making the virus one of the common cause of hepatotropic dead.

Chronic hepatitis B can increase the likelihood of developing liver cirrhosis or liver failure, a condition that causes permanent damage of the liver. HBV has no cure but can be managed and also prevented through vaccination.

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Symptoms
The symptoms of HBV varies depending on the individual involved and also ranges from mild to severe. Some person can be asymptomatic as well.

The common symptoms of HBV include but not limited to the following;

• Dark urine
• Joint pain
• Fever
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Yellowing of the eye (jaundice)
• Encephalopathy
• Splenomegaly
• Hypoalbuminuria
• Liver cirrhosis
• Loss stool
• Constipation

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Causes

Hepatitis B is caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). This virus is encapsulated and can be passed from one person to another through body fluids like semen, blood etc. It is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from droplets of cough or sneeze.

The common means by which this virus spreads include;

• Sexual intercourse
• Sharing of sharp objects like razor, needles and syringe
• From mother to child during child birth.
• Through kidney dialysis

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Diagnosis
Diagnosis of hepatitis is done in the laboratory through some tests. Some of the tests that will be conducted to ascertain the status of the patient include;

• Blood test: this is done to check for the presence of HBs antibodies in the blood stream.
• Liver biopsy: this is done to check for any possible liver damage that might result due to HBV.
• Abdominal ultrasound: this is done to examine the shape and size of the liver and how blood is flowing through it.

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Treatment
There is no absolute treatment therapy for hepatitis infection generally. Treatment is administered based on the patient's symptoms to provide a rapid relieve.

In severe condition where the liver has been damaged, liver transplant becomes the only alternative.

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Conclusion
Hepatitis B virus is a very complicated viral infection that needs to be closely monitored just line other viral disease. It may take some time before the symptoms starts manifesting, hence, endeavour to stay away from all the possible risk factors as outline in the post.

Anytime you suspect any of the symptoms, rush to the nearest health facility for diagnosis and treatment.
Thank you for reading
I'll be back with another episode