Hepatitis B Infection: Information for Patients and Everybody Else
Dr. Hassan Haffar, KATH, Kumasi; 8 January, 2010; Last updated: Not yet.
Introduction
Hepatitis B Infection is a disease caused by infection with the Hepatitis B virus. An infection is the presence of germs in the body. There are
several germs that cause infections. Some are viruses and others are bacteria. Hepatitis B is one example of a virus. In Ghana about 20% of the population have Hepatitis B Infection.
Detection
Hepatitis B Infection can be detected by a blood test. Other blood test such as liver function tests can help determine the extent of the disease.
Acute or Chronic
Hepatitis B Infection can be either acute i.e. Acute Hepatitis B Infection, or chronic i.e. Chronic Hepatitis B Infection. An acute infection is one which is recent and a chronic infection is one which has been present for a long time. Many patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection will not have any complaints. Some will complain of feeling tired, general feeling of being unwell, loss of appetite or they may be anxious.
Transmission
The Hepatitis B virus is found in all parts of the body. People get Hepatitis B Infection after coming into contact with the body fluids of others who already have the infection. The highest amounts of the virus are found in blood, fluid from wounds and genital secretions. In most parts of Africa people get Hepatitis B Infection from their mothers during child birth or from other children during play in childhood. Some also get infected from sexual intercourse with an infected person.
It is not transmitted by contaminated food or water. Most of those infections which occur during child birth or during childhood become chronic while most of those which occur during sex in teenagers and adults are acute.
Prevention
Hepatitis B Infection can be prevented by vaccination. If a pregnant woman has Hepatitis B Infection, transmission to her baby can be avoided by injections soon after birth.
All people with Hepatitis B Infection should avoid spreading the infection by the following recommendations:
1. They should not share razor blades, toothbrushes or sharp
objects used on their bodies with other people.
2. When they have wounds, the wounds should be covered with
plaster or some other suitable material.
3. When blood or other body fluid spills on objects, those
objects should be cleaned with an antiseptic.
4. They should not donate blood.
5. They should use a condom during sex.
They can however do the following:
1. They can hug and kiss others.
2. They can share cooking utensils, eating plates and
cutlery with others. They can eat with others from the
same plates/bowls.
3. Children with Hepatitis B infection should attend school
like any other child.
4. They can take part in sports.
Consequences of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection
A small percentage of those with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection will develop complications. The complications include Cirrhosis in which the liver becomes scarred and loses some of its function and Cancer of the liver in which the liver grows abnormally and also loses some of its function. Only 20% of people with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection develop Cirrhosis and less than 1% develop Cancer.
Treatment
Not everybody with Hepatitis B Infection needs to take drugs because the majority of them live a life without complications of the disease. Those who are more likely to develop Cirrhosis and Cancer are those who need treatment. Your doctor can do a number of tests to determine whether you need treatment or not.
There are a number of drugs used to treat Chronic Hepatitis B Infection. Some examples are Lamivudine and Peginterferon alfa-2a. Lamivudine is in tablet form while Peginterferon alfa-2a is in injection form. The duration of treatment will depend on your condition but it’s usually a year or more, sometimes indefinitely. These drugs are unable to completely clear the virus from your body but more frequently suppress the levels of the virus in the body.
People with Hepatitis B Infection should limit alcohol consumption to not more than one bottle beer or one shot strong drink (whisky/brandy/vodka) a day.
My name is Dr. Hassan Haffar. I work at the Polyclinic of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi. You can contact me by email for further information, comments or suggestions. My email address is hashaf@hotmail.com
Thank you.