Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver that is caused by infection with the hepatitis B virus. One can have acute, chronic active and chronic inactive hepatitis B. Chronic active hepatitis B must be treated. The virus can be contracted through unsafe sexual contact or blood contact. The symptoms are pain around the liver area and normal symptoms. Sometimes, however, one experiences nothing at all. Read more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of hepatitis B below.

About Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus. This virus prefers to settle in liver cells, but can also be present in light quantities elsewhere in the body. However, the virus only causes damage in the liver. The liver inflammation can be serious or less serious. About 400 million people worldwide are chronically infected with the virus. In the Netherlands, between 30,000 and 60,000 people carry the virus. Hepatitis B can be treated and serious consequences such as liver failure, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer can be prevented. However, the disease can also become chronic and permanent, causing permanent liver damage and even death.

The liver

The liver is a large organ of our body that has many functions. It is located at the top of the abdominal cavity and has protection from the ribs. The liver is the vacuum cleaner of our body. It breaks down all harmful substances in our body, converts these substances and then excretes them. This involves a lot of chemical processes.Important tasks of the liver:

• Conversion and production of sugars.
• Conversion and production of proteins.
• Conversion and production of fats.
• Production of bile.
• Detoxifying the human body.

Causes

Hepatitis B occurs when one becomes infected with the hepatitis B virus. This infection can occur through unsafe sexual contact, blood contact and other blood products. In addition, the virus can also be transmitted from mother to child around childbirth. The virus cannot be transmitted without blood, so drinking from the same cups is not a risk. French kissing or brushing your teeth can be a risk, because it sometimes releases blood.The word hepatitis stands for liver inflammation. Liver inflammation can have various causes. If the liver inflammation occurs due to a virus, we call it viral hepatitis. Because hepatitis B occurs due to infection with the hepatitis B virus, we call hepatitis B a viral hepatitis.

Symptoms

If you are infected with the hepatitis B virus, you can become very ill. However, it is also possible that you do not notice the infection. This does not mean that one is not contagious to others. One can have acute hepatitis B, chronic active hepatitis B or chronic inactive hepatitis B.

Acute hepatitis B

If you have acute hepatitis B – which usually occurs 90 days after infection – you may experience symptoms that you normally experience during illness. These are fever, loss of appetite, colorless stools, weight loss, and muscle pain. However, it may also be that one has no complaints. In people who have acute hepatitis B, the disease disappears after a few months. 9 out of 10 people are cured of this form of hepatitis B. People have become immune to the disease and can no longer infect other people. However, if the virus is retained, chronic active or inactive hepatitis occurs. One then remains contagious to other people.

Chronic inactive hepatitis B

One usually speaks of chronic hepatitis B if one is still ill after six months of illness. About 5-10% of people infected with the hepatitis B virus develop chronic hepatitis.If one is a carrier of the virus, but disease activity can no longer be measured in the blood, this is called chronic inactive hepatitis. The measure for the presence of the virus will take positive values. Inactive hepatitis B is not serious in the long term. However, one must remain under doctor’s supervision, because inactive hepatitis B can become active again for unknown reasons.

Chronic active hepatitis B

In a small number of people, the body is unable to clear the hepatitis B virus. The virus will then permanently be in active form. This does not mean that there will be permanent complaints. A patient with chronic active hepatitis B may have no complaints – just like with acute hepatitis B – but the patient may also experience attacks of fatigue and pain around the liver. Chronic active hepatitis B causes long-term damage to the liver. After all, the liver is inflamed for a long time, which can cause scars in the liver. This can reduce liver function, which can cause complications for the rest of the body. Liver cirrhosis or, for example, hepatic encephalopathy may occur.

Therapy

Patients with chronic active hepatitis B are eligible for treatment. After all, the virus is still present in their active form and affects the liver. In the case of chronic inactive hepatitis B, treatment is not necessary, as people do not experience any damage from the virus. However, the patient must be careful because he is still contagious.The treatment of hepatitis B consists of a course of PEG interferon. These are some injections that stimulate the immune system. The effect of this treatment may be permanent, but the side effects may be serious. Tablets are also available. These are easier to use and hardly have any side effects. However, it is possible that the patient may become resistant to these agents. It is therefore up to the doctor to determine what resources the patient needs. In most cases, the virus is not cleared after treatment, but the disease effects have disappeared. The patient then still remains contagious.

Prevent contamination

It is more important not to get the hepatitis B virus than to recover from it. There are several methods to avoid getting the virus.

• Relatively safe
• Avoid blood contact
• Vaccination (especially for risk groups)