Symptoms of Hepatitis B
Signs & Symptoms
Many of those infected with Hepatitis B do not experience symptoms but adults are more likely than children to develop indications. Indicators of the infection usually present within one to four months after exposure (eMedicine, 2012).
The initial symptoms can be mistaken for flu and can include:
- Fatigue
- Appetite Loss
- Vomiting & Nausea
- Pain in the right side of your abdomen, under your rib cage
- Itching all over your body
- Dark urine
- A condition called jaundice in which skin & white of your eyes turn yellow
- Pale-colored stools (grayish or clay colored) (eMedicine, 2012)
The body's immune response determines the outcome of acute Hepatitis B. If the immune response is strong, more damage to the liver can occur but reduces the risk that chronic Hepatitis B will develop. Those that recover from the a Hepatitis B infection develop lifelong immunity against future infections (MedicineNet, 2012). As this virus affects the liver, it is recommended that those who have been diagnosed abstain from consuming alcohol as this can increase damage and the chance of complications (MedicineNet, 2012).
Article References
eMedicine. (2012). Hepatitis B. Retrieved 04 12, 2012, from eMedicine Health: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/hepatitis_b/page3_em.htm
MedicineNet. (2012). Hepatitis B (HBV). Retrieved 04 12, 2012, from Medicine Net: http://www.medicinenet.com/hepatitis_b/article.htm
Public Health Canada. (2012). Hepatitis B - Get the Facts. Retrieved 04 12, 2012, from Public Health Agency of Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hcai-iamss/bbp-pts/hepatitis/hep_b-eng.php
PubMed Health. (2012). Hepatitis B. Retrieved 04 12, 2012, from PubMed Health: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001324/
WHO. (2012). Hepatitis B. Retrieved 04 12, 2012, from World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs204/en/
Image References
Someone else's art deserves recognition! The images presented in this article were borrowed from the following places:
Header Image: http://www.musee-afrappier.qc.ca/images/site/large/hepatite-b-bl.jpg | Retrieved May 1, 2015
Image 2: http://www.hopkins-gi.org/Upload/200710291253_07580_000.jpg | Retrieved May 16, 2012
Image 4: http://images.medicinenet.com/images/SlideShow/hepatitis-s2-person-with-jaundice.jpg | Retrieved May 16, 2012