Hepatitis B (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Hepatitis B Overview
- Hepatitis B Causes
- Hepatitis B Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Hepatitis B Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medical Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Therapy
- Next Steps
- Follow-up
- Prevention
- Outlook
- Support Groups and Counseling
- For More Information
- Web Links
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
- Viewer Comments: Hepatitis B - Describe Your Experience
Hepatitis B Symptoms
- Half of all people infected with the hepatitis B virus have no symptoms.
- Symptoms develop within 30-180 days of exposure to the virus. The symptoms are often compared to flu. Most people think they have flu and never think about having HBV infection.
- Appetite loss
- Feeling tired (fatigue)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Itching all over the body
- Pain over the liver (on the right side of the abdomen, under the lower rib cage)
- Jaundice - A condition in which the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow in color
- Urine becomes dark in color (like cola or tea).
- Stools are pale in color (grayish or clay colored).
- Many types of acute viral hepatitis have similar symptoms (hepatitis A, hepatitis C).
- Fulminant hepatitis is an unusual illness. It is a severe form of acute hepatitis that can be life threatening if not treated right away. The symptoms develop very suddenly.
- Mental disturbances such as confusion, lethargy, extreme sleepiness or hallucinations (hepatic encephalopathy)
- Sudden collapse with fatigue
- Jaundice
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Prolonged nausea and vomiting can cause dehydration. If you have been vomiting repeatedly, you may notice these symptoms:
- Feeling tired or weak
- Feeling confused or having difficulty concentrating
- Headache
- Not urinating
- Irritability
- Symptoms of liver failure may include the following:
- Fluid retention causing swelling of the belly (ascites) and sometimes the legs
- Weight gain due to ascites
- Persistent jaundice
- Loss of appetite, weight loss, wasting
- Vomiting with blood in the vomit
- Bleeding from the nose, mouth, or rectum or blood in the stool
- Hepatic encephalopathy (excessive sleepiness, mental confusion, and in advanced stages, development of coma)
Next: When to Seek Medical Care »
Viewer Comments & Reviews
Hepatitis B - Describe Your Experience
The eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:
Please describe your experience with hepatitis b.
| Printer-Friendly Format | | | Email to a Friend |
Women's Health
Find out what women really need.
From WebMD
Healthy Resources
- How Healthy Is Your Home?
- 12 Tips to Fight Colds, Flu and Other Viruses
- Get the Facts About Depression
Featured Centers
- 12 Ways to Prevent the Spread of Viruses
- 10 Surprising Benefits of Treating Depression
- Healthy Home: To Buy or Not to Buy Organic?
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine
Hepatitis B »
In 1965, Blumberg et al reported the discovery of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), also known as Australia antigen, and its antibody, hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb).
Featured Topics
Explore 80+ Centers
- Allergy
- Allergy Medications
- Anaphylaxis
- Antidepressants
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Baby's Health
- Back, Neck, Head Injury
- Bioterrorism, Warfare
- Blood, Lymphatic System
- Bone, Joint, Muscle
- Brain, Nervous System
- Breathing Difficulties
- Burns
- Camping
- Cancer, Tumors
- Children's Health
- Cholesterol
- Cold and Flu
- CPR, Choking
- Cuts, Scrapes, Bruises
- Dementia
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Diabetic Coma, Insulin Shock
- Digestive System
- Dislocations
- Drowning
- Drug Overdose
- Ear, Nose, Throat
- Emotional Wellness
- Endocrine System
- Environmental Injuries
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Exercise, Nutrition
- Eye, Vision
- Fainting
- Fever
- First Aid, Emergency
- First Aid Kits
- Food Poisoning
- Foreign Bodies
- Fractures, Broken Bones
- Glaucoma
- Headache
- Health, Medical
- Heartburn, GERD, Reflux
- Heart, Blood Vessels
- Heart Attack
- Hepatitis
- Immune System
- Incontinence
- Infections
- Kidneys, Urinary System
- Lung, Airway
- Medications
- Men's Health
- Mental Health, Behavior
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Nosebleeds
- Osteoporosis
- Outdoor Living
- Overexposure
- Poisoning
- Procedures
- Psoriasis
- Public Health
- Scuba Diving, Swimming
- Seizures
- Senior Health
- Shock
- Skin, Hair, Nails
- Sleep Disorders
- Social, Family Health
- Sports Injury
- Sprains, Strains
- Statins
- STDs
- Substance Abuse
- Teen Health
- Teeth, Mouth, Oral Health
- Weight Management
- Wilderness Emergencies
- Women's Health
- Wounds

