Hepatitis B refers to a liver infection that occurs when the virus calledhepatitis B attacks it. This infection is very serious one since, if it is not promptlytreated, it can become chronic and cause many serious complications. For example,liver failure, cancer of the liver and liver cirrhosis are some of the serious consequencesof the chronic hepatitis B. When hepatitis B occurs in an adult, he/she usually manages to curecompletely regardless of the severity of the symptoms. On the other side,hepatitis B developed in infants and children tends to become a chroniccondition. There is no cure for this liver infection, but there is a vaccine thatprevents the occurrence of hepatitis B. However, people who areinfected by the virus hepatitis B should pay attention not to spread it to other people in their surrounding.
Symptoms of hepatitis B
When it comes to this infection, the incubation period, which refers to the time from the virus entering the body to the moment when the first symptoms appear, is about two to three months. Acute hepatitis lasts up to six months while chronic lasts longer thanthat. The people infected by hepatitis B usually feel pain in the abdomen andjoint pain as well. One of the prominent symptoms of this serious liverinfection is jaundice. The person with this condition experiences yellowing ofthe skin around the eyes, as well as yellowing of the whites of the eyes.
Furthermore, urine dark in color may also be an indicator of thisinfection of the liver. Loss of appetite, weakness and fatigue are also some ofthe symptoms of hepatitis B. Nausea and vomiting can also occur in peoplesuffering from this liver infection. However, it is observed that in the majority of cases, hepatitis B does notexhibit any noticeable warning signs.
Causes of hepatitis B
As we have already seen, hepatitis B is induced by the virus hepatitis B, whichcan be easily passed from one person to another through the body fluids. Oncethe virus reaches the liver, it penetrates into the cells and starts overproduction, thus causing inflammation of the liver. Having unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person, as well assharing needles and intravenous drug paraphernalia already contaminatedwith the infected blood are some of the situations when the person can easily get thevirus. Furthermore, the infected mother can pass the virus to her baby duringthe delivery.
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