Hepatitis B :
Hepatitis B is caused by exposure to hepatitis B virus and affects liver. This also causes serious life threatening complications. Hepatitis B is categorized into acute or chronic types, based on the severity of the condition. Hepatitis B is transmitted by various means such as exposure to bodily fluids such as semen, saliva, vaginal fluid or menstrual fluid of a patient suffering the same viral disease. The presenting complains of hepatitis B infection include abdominal pain, fatigue, fever, nausea and vomiting, joint pain, dark-colored urine, loss of appetite, yellowish discoloration of skin and sclera or white part of eye from jaundice, swelling from fluid in belly or arms and legs and light or clay-colored stool. Hepatitis B, if left untreated, may complicate to acute and chronic liver failure, hepatitis D, liver cancer and liver cirrhosis. To diagnose hepatitis B, various investigations such as elastography, blood tests and liver biopsy are conducted.




