Some people have symptoms that mimic the flu like a loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, high fever, weakness, tiredness, abdominal pain, dark urine, yellowing skin and eyes (jaundice), that can last weeks or even months;
About 90% of adults recover from hepatitis B in a few months, clearing the virus from their system and developing an immunity. They will never get hepatitis B again, however, their blood test will always show that they had been infected.
After testing positive for the antibodies, you are not able to donate blood or your organs for transplant. This is because there is a very small chance that the test results are "false positive" for the immunity and the person might still be infected. When the antibody to hepatitis B test is positive or reactive it means the person has recovered from a past infection, will not get it again, therefore cannot pass it on to others. This test is usually positive when a person has received the hepatitis B vaccine.
Anyone who has not cleared the virus after six months and has elevated liver enzymes is considered to have chronic hepatitis. This means the virus is infecting living liver cells and damaging them. Scar tissue, called cirrhosis, replaces the damaged cells. The build up of cirrhosis causes the liver to become hard and bumpy and distorts the blood flow through this vital organ. This causes a back pressure in the veins bringing nutrients from the stomach and intestines. Varicose veins form in the stomach and esophagus that can burst causing a hemorrhage resulting in vomiting blood or passing black stools. About 5,000 people die in the United States each year related to hepatitis B, 1,000 die of hepatitis B related liver cancer.
See your doctor yearly or more frequently as recommended. Tell your doctor, dentist and sex partner you are a carrier of Hepatitis B.
Currently there is only one approved treatment for hepatitis B called interferon alpha 2-b. About 15%-20% of those treated will have a lasting response. Many other medications and types of therapy are being tested to find more effective and less toxic treatments.
Vaccinate your family against Hepatitis B. Many doctors have the vaccine available, but public health departments will vaccinate children (any uninsured children under 18) free and will charge a nominal fee for anyone including older adults.
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