What Are The Early Signs Of Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a commonly diagnosed STD that severely affects the liver and could lead to liver failure, cirrhosis, or liver cancer. Early signs range anywhere from abdominal pain to the yellowing of your skin and eyes (jaundice). If you’re concerned that you may have come in contact with Hep B, contact myLAB Box™ and order a mail-kit so you can get tested in the comfort of your own home.

There are currently anywhere from 850,000 to 2.2 million cases currently reported in the United States. Luckily, it is not only preventable by a vaccine but if it is caught early enough, the (HBV) vaccine can be effective even after infection.

Early signs and symptoms of Hep B:

• Stomach or gastric pain

• Dark or bloody urine

• Fever

• Joint pain.

• Loss of appetite

• Nausea and vomiting

• Weakness and fatigue

• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

You can be infected with Hepatitis B through many different outlets. Out of three different types of Hepatitis, Hep B is the only one that is transmitted through sex. That means that practicing safe sex is your most effective tool against Hep B and the irreversible damage it could do to your liver. Not only is it transmittable through semen and blood, but the virus lives in mucous and any other bodily fluid you could think of. That means that sharing needles is also an efficient way to catch the infection.

Infants born to infected mothers carry an extremely high risk of being carriers of the disease. The chances of infant born HBV is anywhere from 70 to 90% unless they are treated with HBV immune globulin and are vaccinated immediately after delivery. Earlier trans-placental transmission can occur in the womb but is much rarer.

Hep B is currently diagnosed as either acute or chronic. Acute Hep B is usually diagnosed first and appears in the first six months of infection. Most people are treated for acute Hep B with either assistive treatments or if caught early enough, can be treated with the Hep B vaccine. Only when the virus moves into the chronic phase does it start to do unmeasurable damage to your body and liver. If you’re diagnosed with chronic Hepatitis B, you can expect to live a relatively normal life. Even though you’ll be at a much higher risk for cirrhosis or liver failure, modern medicine and liver specialists can help manage the infection. Just remember to visit the doctor at least twice a year.

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms or have come in relatively close contact with Hepatitis B, getting tested is the first step to recovery. MyLAB Box™ can send you their new test kit enabling you to get tested in the comfort of your own home. Our kits are discreet and guaranteed to give you results you can trust. We also offer a free consultation with one of our doctors that will guide you on your road to treatment.