MyHealthTabs.com | A Trending Content Hub

Do You Have These Hepatitis B Symptoms

Known as a “silent infection”, you may not even know that you have hepatitis B. Watch out for these hepatitis B symptoms.

Even though they have hepatitis B, more than 69 percent of the affected individuals face no hepatitis B symptoms at all. Moreover, another 30 percent may see hepatitis B symptoms but confuse it with symptoms of other common afflictions such as the flu. Only about 1 percent of people who have hepatitis B will go on to develop a life-threatening form of the condition called fulminate hepatitis. This unfortunate 1 percent may suffer liver failure, and need emergency medical care. Hepatitis B is characterized as a “silent infection” because most people see no visible and distinct hepatitis B symptoms once they are infected. Since they do not know that they have this condition, it is very possible that they pass it on to other people around them. One can contract hepatitis B through contact with contaminated blood.

This infectious disease is caused by the HBV or Hepatitis B Virus. In general, there are two possible stages of this condition which are acute hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis B. Acute refers to the fact that the infection is in its nascent stages. If they do come up, most people notice hepatitis B symptoms within 1 to 4 months after coming into contact with the virus. Most cases of acute hepatitis B get resolved after the hepatitis B symptoms disappear in about a few weeks or months. Chronic hepatitis B, on the other hand, describes an HBV infection that lasts longer than 6 months at a time. Once the infection reaches the chronic stage, the hepatitis B symptoms may never disappear completely. Children are at a much higher risk of developing chronic hepatitis B symptoms.

Why You Need to Know About Hepatitis B Symptoms?

Recognized as the most common liver infection of a serious nature in the world, most affected people in the United States fall within the age group of 20 to 50 years. The primary function of the liver is to filter out all the toxins in the blood. However, the liver is a multi-faceted organ that also serves to store energy, aid digestion, create infection-fighting substances, and even control bleeding. Though the liver tends to heal itself fairly easily, chronic hepatitis B symptoms could lead to permanent damage of the liver and liver cirrhosis. In case of liver failure, the only possible treatment option is a liver transplant. Furthermore, chronic hepatitis B symptoms could also lead to hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer. Studies show that approximately 15 to 25 percent of people with HBV die of liver diseases. Considering all these factors, it is important for you to know about the common hepatitis B symptoms so you can watch out for them, and get treated before matters get worse.

What are the Common Hepatitis B Symptoms?

While more than half of the people who have the virus never see any hepatitis B symptoms, those who do often face symptoms that are similar to the flu. These hepatitis B symptoms include:

A loss of appetite
Constant fatigue or feeling of tiredness
Vomiting and nausea
Pain in the liver
An itching sensation all over the body
Cola- or tea-colored urine that is much darker than normal
Graying or clay-colored stools
Jaundice which causes yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes

It is important to remember that other forms of viral hepatitis such as A and C also cause symptoms that are similar to hepatitis B symptoms.

If you see hepatitis B symptoms such as extreme lethargy or sleepiness, confusion, hallucinations, fatigue-related collapse, abdominal swelling, and jaundice, you may have fulminate acute hepatitis B that needs to be treated immediately. If not treated, these hepatitis B symptoms are likely to become life-threatening.

Since hepatitis B symptoms may or may not be visible in the initial stages of the viral condition, chances are high that you will only see symptoms once the disease has progressed enough to cause liver damage. If you notice severe symptoms such as ascites (fluid retention and swelling in the legs and stomach), persistent jaundice, vomiting of blood, bleeding from the mouth/nose/rectum, etc., recognize these as signs of liver damage and seek medical attention immediately.

If you have the slightest doubt that you may have been infected with the virus, seek a medical diagnosis immediately, whether or not you see any hepatitis B symptoms.

Popular Reads

You Will Not Believe This Common Condition Is One of the Brain Tumor Symptoms

You know about headaches and seizures, but did you know that this common condition is one of the brain tumor symptoms you ought to watch out for? Brain tumors manifest in symptoms for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the brain is a very compact organ, and there is little to no space to accommodate the growth of other tissue inside the brain. Secondly, depending on exactly where they are growing inside the brain, these tumors push against and impose pressure on certain parts, and cause varying symptoms. Perhaps, the most common early warning symptom of brain tumors is a headache . Headaches may be severe to start off with, or may have a tendency to worsen early in the morning or after any activity. The second most commonly reported symptom of brain tumors is seizures or fits. Also known as convulsion, motor seizures are characterized by sudden involuntary movements of the muscles in a person’s body. Depending on the area that the tumor is pushing against, you may experience different types of seizures. The most common ones are myoclonic and tonic-clonic or Grand Mal seizures. Less common brain tumor symptoms include changes in sensory perceptions without being unconscious, personality/memory changes, nausea and vomiting and fatigue .

Everything You Need to Know About Haemophilia in Children

Get all your questions pertaining to haemophilia in children answered here. A first aid kit is your best friend as a parent. Children seem to know just how to walk in an unbalanced gait and topple over without any external help. The result is an extraordinary number of bumps and bruises that need more than a mother’s kiss to make better. While bruises and scrapes are a normal part of childhood, haemophilia children need extra care. A bruise or cut would heal and scab over for others, but for haemophilia children, even the smallest cuts are a cause of concern. If you are a parent with haemophilia children or would just like to know more about the condition to help your loved ones handle it better, here are the answer to the most common questions when it comes to haemophilia in children. What is Haemophilia? When you get a cut, there are clotting agents in your blood that act quickly to curb the bleeding. However, for haemophilia children, the disease actively stops blood from clotting properly. The result is an excessive loss of blood, which can be very dangerous to the health of haemophilia children. This genetic disorder tends to affect more boys than girls.

Do You Suffer from These Bladder Control Problems in Women?

Do not just live with urinary incontinence – learn what causes it so you can improve bladder control problems in women. If you think that urinary incontinence is a problem that only older women and men deal with, think again. Bladder control problems in women are common, and they affect women of all age groups. Sometimes, there is a clear starting point for bladder control problems in women. You may have just delivered a baby, and are getting back to your active lifestyle, when you suffer through an “accident”. Owing to how embarrassing bladder control problems in women can be, a lot of women never seek help for this treatable condition. Regardless of age, many across the globe are living with bladder control problems in women, and shrouding the condition in secrecy. However, the truth is that more than 13 million people in the United States have incontinence issues. Bladder control problems in women are twice as likely as men. According to the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, 30 percent of young women suffer incontinence. The rates of bladder control problems in women increase with age, with 40 percent of middle-aged women, and 50 percent of older women suffering from urinary incontinence.