How hepatitis B can be transmitted at home: routes of infection and the danger of the disease. How is hepatitis B transmitted? Is hepatitis B transmitted through household contact?
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Infectious damage to the liver by viral hepatitis B is quite severe and can lead to numerous complications, including liver cirrhosis and bile duct stenosis. There is a risk of infection through direct contact with blood. This type of virus is not transmitted through water or food. The risk of contracting hepatitis B occurs when using non-sterile medical instruments, for example in dentistry. People who are addicted to drugs often get sick.
Jaundice is one of the most important symptoms of liver inflammation. Most often it occurs with hepatitis B.
Causes of hepatitis B and routes of infection
The main and only cause of hepatitis B is infection with the virus. It is stable in the external environment: for example, it can live in a blood stain on a razor for more than 4 days. And when frozen, it remains viable for up to 10-15 years. The hepatitis B virus dies only with special treatment, for example, long-term boiling.
It has been proven that it is impossible to catch hepatitis B and C through dirty hands, contaminated water, or contaminated foods. Infection can only occur through blood. Transmission routes can be natural or artificial.
Artificial ones most often include medical routes: blood transfusion, an insufficiently sterile instrument used, for example, for drawing blood. But this is now unlikely, since disposable instruments are used.
A certain risk of hepatitis infection exists in dentistry, therefore serious clinics of any form of ownership use the “Anti-hepatitis and anti-AIDS” system when processing instruments, which guarantees protection against transmission of the virus.
Infection can also occur during invasive research methods, for example, during FGDS (examination of the stomach with a probe), examination on mirrors when visiting a gynecologist. All doctors are aware of these risks, so the processing of instruments is carried out very carefully, and constant monitoring is carried out by Rospotrebnadzor. Artificial transmission of hepatitis is carefully controlled.
Natural routes of transmission of the virus are more likely. When it comes to hepatitis B, it is a sexual transmission route. This applies to a lesser extent to hepatitis C.
It is hardly possible to become infected with hepatitis C in everyday life, since there must be a very high dose of infection; in other words, a large amount of blood from an infected person must end up on the open wound of another person.
Infection with the hepatitis B virus at home is more realistic. Manicure sets, toothbrushes, haircutting scissors, even dishes can become a source of infection.
How else is hepatitis B transmitted?
Many patients do not know how hepatitis B is transmitted. The route of infection is any wound surface. The virus is transmitted in the same way as hepatitis C - through blood. For example, when using untreated reusable medical and hairdressing instruments. But if to become infected with hepatitis C it is necessary for many pathogens to enter the body, then you can get hepatitis B even if a microscopic dose of viruses gets into the blood. For example, it is enough to simply inject yourself with the syringe that the patient used. Also, with hepatitis B, the risk of infection through sexual contact is much higher. Even a child is at risk of becoming a carrier of the virus. A sick mother can pass the infection to her baby during childbirth.
Can you get hepatitis B even from a mosquito bite? No, it's a myth. There is only one possible answer to the question of whether you can become infected with hepatitis B from the bite of a blood-sucking insect. Negative. No insect is a carrier or transmitter of this infection.
Hepatitis B infection
After hepatitis B infection occurs, the infection enters the liver through the bloodstream and settles in its cells. The body's own immune cells recognize the infected areas of the liver and begin to destroy them.
Through the bloodstream, the hepatitis B virus can enter other organs, causing extrahepatic manifestations with damage to the thyroid gland, joints, and blood vessels (and a characteristic hemorrhagic rash appears). Sometimes a person is simply a carrier of the virus, but he himself is not sick. But more often the disease manifests itself very severely, severely affecting the liver and even the digestive tract.
Symptoms of hepatitis B
The incubation period lasts up to six months. There are cases when symptoms of hepatitis B appear only a year after infection, since the dose of viruses that entered the blood was small.
The disease develops gradually: fatigue becomes more and more common, appetite decreases, and temperature rises. Then patients notice that the urine has become dark, the stool has become discolored, and discomfort appears in the upper abdomen or right side. Then jaundice appears.
How does hepatitis B occur? Patients suffer from a disease much more severe than hepatitis C. Most develop bright jaundice, an enlarged liver, pain in the joints, muscles, a skin rash with severe itching like urticaria, intoxication, high body temperature, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite.
The duration of the disease depends on the severity, as well as the state of the patient’s immune system.
Consequences of hepatitis B
If you experience suspicious symptoms of hepatitis B, you should immediately consult a doctor. The fact is that the consequences of hepatitis B can be completely unpredictable. An infected person may develop so-called fulminant hepatitis - a rare but very severe form of the disease with severe jaundice, hemorrhagic rash, intoxication, and liver failure.
If the patient is not provided with timely assistance, hemorrhagic syndrome may occur - multiple internal bleeding. They appear when blood clotting is impaired due to liver damage by viruses.
With fulminant hepatitis, hepatic coma is also possible (the liver cannot properly cleanse the blood of toxins, which is why the patient becomes lethargic and then falls into a coma). With this form of hepatitis, the prognosis is extremely unfavorable and death is possible.
Under what conditions does a severe form of the disease develop? Depends on the state of the patient’s immunity at the time of infection and the dose of viruses that have entered the body.
Does it happen that the patient does not notice his illness? Illnesses often manifest themselves only as weakness and fatigue. And any working citizen experiences such feelings. Patients learn about their illness completely by accident. For example, before scheduled operations, patients are always asked to be tested for hepatitis.
What consequences may occur if hepatitis B is not treated? The disease is very dangerous, as it can provoke the development of cirrhosis and malignant liver tumors. However, it is worth saying that complications arise only in severe forms of the disease, severe jaundice, liver failure or long-term chronic hepatitis. Acute hepatitis, if it is anicteric, cannot provoke rapid and dangerous consequences.
How soon do hepatitis B complications appear? It is difficult to say at what time complications of hepatitis B develop. Everything here is very individual: some suffer from cirrhosis of the liver in their youth, while others live with chronic hepatitis until old age and have not developed any complications. I can only say that the sooner you start treatment, and the more strictly you follow the doctor’s recommendations, the greater your chances of never encountering complications. Even if the disease has already become chronic, it can be kept under control.
Hepatitis B: what tests should I take?
Let's look at the question of what tests to take for hepatitis B. Doctors find out the possible causes of infection, take urine and stool tests. But the most important thing, of course, is identifying markers of the hepatitis B virus in the blood.
What are the features of treating the disease?
For hepatitis B, doctors carefully monitor changes in the patient’s blood tests for six months. There are special signs by which professionals determine whether a person will be able to recover on his own or whether the disease threatens to become chronic. If the form is anicteric and the patient copes with the disease on his own, he is prescribed hepatoprotectors, multivitamins, diet No. 5, and physical activity is prohibited.
Healing occurs differently for everyone, some take more than six months, while for others the virus is not detected in the blood after 2-3 months.
If acute hepatitis B occurs in a mild or moderate form, then patients successfully recover on their own. In case of jaundice, severe forms or pronounced changes in the blood, the patient is admitted to the hospital.
What if the disease becomes chronic? The patient is prescribed antiviral drugs. They are taken on an outpatient basis for six months.
How often does the disease become chronic? Approximately 80% of those infected with hepatitis B recover, and in 20% of patients the disease becomes chronic.
Is it possible to get hepatitis B again? After treatment, a person develops lifelong immunity.
Prevention of viral hepatitis B
There is specific prevention of hepatitis B. The best way to protect yourself from the hepatitis B virus is to get vaccinated. In our country, all babies are vaccinated against this virus on the first day of life. Since children's immunity is formed gradually, vaccination to prevent viral hepatitis B is carried out in several stages (immediately after birth, at 1 month and at 6 months). Children whose mothers are sick with hepatitis B are vaccinated in a shorter period of time (on the first day, 1 month, 2 months and at the age of one year).
This is an extremely necessary procedure, since the child has to come into contact with medical instruments from birth. Children tolerate vaccination easily. Due to the fact that the hepatitis B vaccine is included in the National Preventive Vaccination Calendar, the incidence of this virus has decreased significantly in recent years.
Diagnosis of hepatitis B
Patients diagnosed with hepatitis B are required to be registered after the diagnosis and severity of the disease have been clarified. Such patients should see an infectious disease specialist at least once every six months so that the doctor can monitor the development of the disease.
If you have been vaccinated against hepatitis B, and the timing and frequency of vaccination have been followed, you should not be afraid of the disease for at least 7-10 years. After the specified period, revaccination is recommended (repeated vaccinations against hepatitis B).
If diagnostics have shown that chronic hepatitis B has already formed, then the virus itself cannot die in the human body. In the external environment, boiling kills the virus within half an hour, autoclaving at a temperature of 120 °C - within 45 minutes. The virus is also susceptible to hydrogen peroxide, chloramine and other antiseptics.
Infection with hepatitis through bedbugs, mosquitoes and other insects is impossible, since the virus is not viable in their bodies.
It is theoretically possible to catch hepatitis B through dishes, since a small dose of the infection is required for infection. If the patient's saliva gets on dishes that are then used by another person without washing them first, there is a risk of infection. Especially if you are concerned about periodontal disease, cracks, wounds on the oral mucosa.
Hepatitis B vaccines
Vaccines against hepatitis B are made according to the scheme described below.
0-1-6. That is, the first vaccination is now; the second - a month from the first; the third - six months after the first.
But there are emergency situations when the threat of infection is very high, then it is possible to change the vaccination schedule, and, accordingly, their frequency. For example, the vaccination is given not 3 times, but 4. Thus, the vaccine is administered 3 times within a month with a certain frequency, and the fourth - 1 year after the first vaccination.
After hepatitis B vaccination
The vaccination protects for approximately 10 years, after which revaccination is necessary. Six months after the procedure, it is recommended to take a blood test to check whether it had an effect. After all, it may happen that after vaccination with hepatitis B, for some reason, immunity is not formed. For example, if the vaccine was stored incorrectly. Therefore, it is necessary to get tested again. If the immune response to the hepatitis B virus has weakened, then you need to get another vaccine.
Nutrition for hepatitis B
It is necessary to follow a diet, take vitamins, avoid physical activity and completely eliminate alcohol. special nutrition is prescribed for hepatitis B
I would like to note that chronic hepatitis especially often worsens after the holidays: people overeat fatty and spicy foods, and also indulge in alcohol. If the doctor's recommendations are not followed, a relapse of the disease may occur.
What is the 5 diet for hepatitis B
What diet is most suitable for hepatitis B? As a rule, for hepatitis B, diet No. 5 is prescribed. An approximate diet for hepatitis B is described below.
Table No. 5 is prescribed for diseases of the liver and biliary tract. Food is taken warm, boiled or baked 5-6 times a day.
Salt dishes in moderation.
Authorized Products
Bread- yesterday’s baked goods or dried wheat, rye, “doctor’s” and other types of bread; cookies made from unsweetened dough.
Soups- various soups from vegetables, cereals, pasta with vegetable broth or milk, fruit soups.
Meat and poultry dishes- products made from lean beef and poultry, boiled or baked after boiling, cooked in pieces or chopped. Milk sausages.
Fish dishes- various low-fat varieties of fish (cod, pike perch, navaga, pike, carp, silver hake) boiled or steamed.
Vegetables- various types of vegetables and herbs, non-acidic sauerkraut, canned green peas, ripe tomatoes.
Dishes made from flour, cereals, legumes and pasta- crumbly semi-viscous porridges, puddings, casseroles, dishes made from oatmeal and buckwheat porridge are especially useful.
Eggs- 1 egg per day (added to dishes), egg white omelet.
Fruits, berries, sweet dishes- various fruits and berries, except very sour ones; canned fruit, compotes, jelly, lemon with tea, sugar, jam, honey.
Fats- butter and vegetable oils (up to 50 g per day).
Snacks- soaked herring, pressed caviar, salads, vinaigrettes, jellied fish.
Milk, dairy products- milk with tea, condensed, dry, low-fat cottage cheese, small amounts of sour cream, mild cheeses (for example, Dutch). Cottage cheese and curd products are especially useful.
Beverages- tea and weak coffee with milk, non-acidic fruit and berry juices, tomato juice, rose hip decoction.
Prohibited Products
All alcoholic drinks.
Fresh bakery products, pastry products (cakes, pancakes, pancakes, fried pies).
Soups with meat, fish, and mushroom broths.
Fatty varieties of beef, lamb, pork, goose, chicken, duck.
Fatty fish (stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, beluga, catfish), caviar.
Spinach, sorrel, radish, radish, green onion, legumes, mustard, pepper, horseradish; pickled vegetables, canned food, smoked meats; mushrooms.
Cranberries, sour fruits and berries.
Ice cream, cream products, chocolate.
Cold drinks, black coffee, cocoa.
Cooking fats, lard; hard-boiled and fried eggs.
Sample menu
8-9 hours: vinaigrette with sour cream; tea with milk; butter; bread; cottage cheese; 20 g soaked herring.
12-13 hours: boiled and baked meat; crumbly buckwheat porridge; juices
16-17 hours: vegetable vegetarian soup with sour cream; boiled fish with boiled potatoes and carrots; sauerkraut; fresh fruit compote.
19-20 hours: pasta casserole with cottage cheese; baked cabbage cutlets; fruit and berry compote.
22 hours: fruit and berry jelly; bun.
How to tame the disease in acute hepatitis
Breakfast: steam protein omelette; pureed buckwheat milk porridge; tea with milk; bread and butter.
Dinner: vegetarian pureed soup with pearl barley and vegetables; steamed meatballs with milk sauce; mashed potatoes with vegetable oil; fruit juice jelly.
Afternoon snack: baked apples
Dinner: cheese steam soufflé; tea; bread and butter.
Before bedtime: fruit juice jelly.
All day: 200 g rye bread; 60 g butter; 25 g sugar.
After feeling better
Option #1. Breakfast: cheese souffle baked in sour cream; milk rice porridge; tea with milk; bread and butter.
Dinner: milk soup; cabbage rolls stuffed with boiled meat and vegetable oil; apple juice jelly; Rye bread.
Afternoon snack: tea; bread and butter.
Option No. 2. First breakfast: white omelette; oatmeal porridge with milk; tea with milk.
Lunch: apple.
Dinner: soup from various vegetables; steamed meat balls baked in sour cream; stewed carrots; grape juice jelly.
Dinner: buckwheat porridge; tea; bread and butter.
For the night: a glass of kefir.
All day: 200 g stale wheat bread; 200 g stale rye bread; 80 g butter; 50 g sugar.
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Hepatitis B is a potentially very dangerous viral disease, due to which, according to WHO, about 780 thousand people die every year. For this reason, the disease is considered a key issue facing global health. It is not so much the viral hepatitis B itself that is dangerous, but the complications it causes, which can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer.In total, there are about 250 million people in the world suffering from the chronic consequences of this disease. Often, hepatitis B comes not alone, but in combination with hepatitis D, which significantly aggravates the course of the disease and complicates treatment. Vaccination, which with a 95% probability protects against this viral infection, can save you from infection.
Today we will look at hepatitis B, what it is and how it is transmitted, how it is treated and how to avoid infection.
What it is?
Hepatitis B is a viral disease characterized by predominant liver damage and the possible development of a chronic process.
Etiology
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) belongs to a family of pathogens conventionally called Hepadnaviridae (Latin hepar - liver, English DNA - DNA). Hepatitis B virions (Dane particles) are complexly organized spherical ultrastructures with a diameter of 42-45 nm, have an outer shell and an internal dense core. The DNA of the virus is circular, double-stranded, but has a single-stranded section. The core of the virus contains the enzyme DNA polymerase. Along with complete virions, there are polymorphic and tubular formations, composed only of fragments of the outer shell of the virion. These are defective, non-infectious particles that do not contain DNA.
Virus reproduction occurs in one of two possible ways: productive or integrative. In the case of productive reproduction, full-fledged integrative virions are formed - DNA integration with the cellular gene takes place. The integration of the viral genome or individual genes near the cellular genome leads to the synthesis of a huge number of defective viral particles. It is assumed that in this case the synthesis of viral proteins does not occur, so the person is non-infectious to others even if the surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus - HBsAg - is present in the blood.
How is hepatitis B transmitted?
The source of infection is a sick person at almost any stage of the disease (including before the onset of symptoms of the disease), as well as a carrier of the virus. Any biological fluids of the patient are dangerous to others: blood and lymph, vaginal secretions and sperm, saliva, bile, urine.
How is hepatitis B transmitted? The main route of transmission of hepatitis B is parenteral, that is, through various contacts with blood. This is possible in the following situations:
- transfusion of blood or its components from an unscreened donor;
- when undergoing a treatment procedure in the hemodialysis department;
- various medical operations using reusable instruments (tissue biopsy, tooth extraction and other dental procedures);
- injecting drug use from one syringe by several persons;
- in hairdressing salons when performing manicure and pedicure procedures with reusable, poorly sterilized instruments, when performing tattooing or piercing.
Unprotected sex is also dangerous. The risk group for this disease includes surgical doctors, procedural and surgical nurses, children born to mothers with chronic hepatitis B or carriers of the virus. It should be noted that the likelihood of contracting hepatitis B is quite high even with a single contact.
Mechanisms of development of hepatitis B
When the hepatitis B virus enters the body, it spreads throughout the body and becomes fixed in the liver cells. The virus itself does not damage the cells, but the activation of protective immune systems recognizes cells damaged by the virus and attacks them.
The more active the immune process is, the stronger the manifestations will be. When damaged liver cells are destroyed, liver inflammation develops - hepatitis. Carriage and transition to the chronic form depend on the functioning of the immune system.
Forms
There is an acute and chronic course of the disease; in addition, a separate variant is the carriage of hepatitis B.
- The acute form can occur immediately after infection, occurs with pronounced clinical symptoms, and sometimes with fulminant development. Up to 95% of people are completely cured; in the remaining part, acute hepatitis becomes chronic, and in newborns, chronicity of the disease occurs in 90% of cases.
- The chronic form may occur after acute hepatitis, or may initially occur without an acute phase of the disease. Its manifestations can vary from asymptomatic (carriage of the virus) to active hepatitis with transition to cirrhosis.
Stages of the disease
There are the following stages of hepatitis B:
Incubation period | duration - from 2 to 6 months, more often - 12-15 weeks, during which active replication of the virus occurs in liver cells. After the number of viral particles reaches a critical value, the first symptoms appear - the disease moves to the next stage. |
Prodromal period | the occurrence of nonspecific signs of an infectious disease (weakness, lethargy, pain in the muscles and joints, lack of appetite). |
The height of the disease | the appearance of specific signs (the liver increases in size, icteric staining of the sclera and skin appears, intoxication syndrome develops). |
Last period | recovery (convalescence) or transition of the disease to a chronic form. |
Symptoms of hepatitis B
Many patients with hepatitis B have no symptoms at all for a long time. The virus can only be detected through a laboratory blood test, which is necessary for medical examination or pregnancy registration. In such cases, a special test is done - a blood test to detect the “Australian antigen”.
When hepatitis B develops in the human body and has external signs, patients may experience the following symptoms:
- Nausea;
- Dizziness;
- Fast fatiguability;
- Rhinitis;
- Increased body temperature (often the temperature reaches 39-40 degrees);
- Cough;
- General weakness;
- Pain in the nasopharynx;
- Severe headaches;
- Change in skin color (jaundice);
- Yellowing of mucous membranes, eye sclera, palms;
- Change in the color of urine (it begins to foam, and the color resembles dark beer or strong tea);
- Pain syndrome in the joints;
- Loss of appetite;
- Change in the color of stool (discoloration occurs);
- Heaviness in the right hypochondrium;
- Chills.
When hepatitis B enters the chronic stage, patients, in addition to the main symptoms, develop signs of liver failure, which causes intoxication of the body. If at this stage of the development of the disease the patient does not undergo comprehensive treatment, he will suffer damage to the central nervous system.
Character of the current
According to the nature of the course, hepatitis B is divided into:
Fulminant | the disease goes through all stages in a maximum of two months, as a result of which the liver does not have time to regenerate, liver failure (encephalopathy) and even coma in the last stage are possible. Hepatic encephalopathy can be diagnosed at any stage of hepatitis disease. Symptoms of the disease appear more acutely; the patient also experiences low blood pressure and swelling. |
Spicy | lasts a maximum of six months. Its signs in each person are expressed individually, depending on the type of hepatitis B virus. If the body is strong, it copes with the disease itself, if not, then it becomes chronic. |
Chronic | The disease occurs with periods of exacerbation and remission. Due to the constant action of viruses, liver cells die, cirrhosis or liver cancer occurs. |
Doctors and scientists say that a virus that enters the body does not always cause hepatitis. If a person has a strong immune system, the virus does not pose a danger to him, although others around him may become infected. WHO notes that there are several hundred million potential carriers of the virus in the world who do not even know it.
Complications of hepatitis B
The most common complication is damage to the bile ducts - in 12-15% of convalescents.
A frequent complication of chronic hepatitis B cirrhosis of the liver is numerous extrahepatic manifestations - colitis, - pancreatitis, arthralia, vascular damage, bleeding from the veins of the sac. Hepatic coma in cirrhosis - porto-caval or mixed type. Chronic persistent hepatitis B can last for many years with long-term remissions. “The mortality rate of patients with chronically active form of hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis is high, mainly in the first 5-10 years of the disease.
Forecast. The mortality rate is 0.1-0.3%, associated with the malignant (fulminant) form of the disease. The chronic form of hepatitis B occurs in approximately 10% of patients, liver cirrhosis - in 0.6% of patients. Most cases of chronic hepatitis B are associated with a history of anicteric form of the disease.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of viral hepatitis B is carried out based on the detection of specific virus antigens (HbeAg, HbsAg) in the blood serum, as well as the detection of antibodies to them (anti-Hbs, anti-Hbe, anti-Hbc IgM).
The degree of activity of the infectious process can be assessed based on the result of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This analysis allows you to detect the DNA of the virus, as well as count the number of viral copies per unit volume of blood.
To assess the functional state of the liver, as well as monitor the dynamics of the disease, the following laboratory tests are regularly performed:
- blood chemistry;
- coagulogram;
- general blood and urine analysis.
Dynamic ultrasound of the liver is mandatory. If indicated, a puncture biopsy of the liver is performed, followed by histological and cytological examination of the punctate.
Chronic hepatitis B
In cases where chronic hepatitis is not the outcome of acute hepatitis, the onset of the disease occurs gradually, the disease appears gradually, and often the patient cannot say when the first signs of the disease appeared.
- The first sign of hepatitis B is fatigue, which gradually increases, accompanied by weakness and drowsiness. Often patients cannot wake up in the morning.
- There is a disturbance in the sleep-wake cycle: daytime drowsiness is replaced by nighttime insomnia.
- Lack of appetite, nausea, bloating, and vomiting occur.
- Jaundice appears. Just as in the acute form, first the urine darkens, then the sclera and mucous membranes turn yellow, and then the skin. Jaundice in chronic hepatitis B is persistent or recurrent (recurring periodically).
Chronic hepatitis B can be asymptomatic, however, both with asymptomatic course and with frequent exacerbations, numerous complications and adverse consequences of hepatitis B can develop.
How to treat hepatitis B
In most cases, acute hepatitis B does not require treatment, as most adults can cope with the infection on their own without the use of medications. Early antiviral treatment may be required in less than 1% of cases: patients with aggressive infection.
If, with the development of hepatitis B, treatment is carried out at home, which is sometimes practiced when the disease is mild and constant medical supervision is possible, some rules must be followed:
- Drinking plenty of fluids helps with detoxification - removing toxins from the body, and also prevents dehydration, which can develop due to excessive vomiting.
- Do not use medications without a doctor’s prescription: many medications have a negative effect on the liver, and taking them can lead to a rapid worsening of the disease.
- Don't drink alcohol.
- It is necessary to eat adequately - food should be high in calories; it is necessary to adhere to a therapeutic diet.
- You should not overuse physical activity - physical activity should correspond to your general condition.
- If unusual, new symptoms appear, you should immediately call a doctor!
Drug treatment for hepatitis B:
- The basis of treatment is detoxification therapy: intravenous administration of certain solutions to accelerate the elimination of toxins and replenish fluid lost through vomiting and diarrhea.
- Drugs to reduce intestinal absorption function. A lot of toxins are formed in the intestines, the absorption of which into the blood when the liver is not functioning effectively is extremely dangerous.
- Interferon α is an antiviral agent. However, its effectiveness depends on the rate of virus reproduction, i.e. infection activity.
Other treatments, including various antiviral drugs, have limited effectiveness and high treatment costs.
How to avoid infection?
Prevention, both specific (vaccination) and nonspecific, aimed at interrupting the transmission of hepatitis B: correction of human behavior; use of one-time tools; careful adherence to the rules of hygiene at home; restriction of transfusions of biological fluids; use of effective disinfectants; the presence of a single healthy sexual partner or, otherwise, protected sex (the latter does not provide a 100% guarantee of non-infection, since in any case there is unprotected contact with other biological secretions of the partner - saliva, sweat, etc.).
Vaccination is widely used to prevent hepatitis B infection. Routine vaccination is accepted in almost all countries of the world. WHO recommends starting to vaccinate a child in the first day after birth, unvaccinated children of school age, as well as people from risk groups: professional groups (medics, emergency services, military, etc.), people with non-traditional sexual preferences, drug addicts, patients who frequently receive drugs blood, persons on program hemodialysis, married couples in which one of the members is infected with the virus, and some others. For vaccination, the vaccine against the hepatitis B virus is usually used, which is a protein shell of the viral particle, the so-called. HBs antigen. In some countries (for example, China) a plasma vaccine is used. Both types of vaccines are safe and highly effective. The vaccination course usually consists of three doses of the vaccine administered intramuscularly at intervals.
The effectiveness of vaccination of newborn children born from infected mothers, provided that the first dose was administered in the first 12 hours of life, is up to 95%. Emergency vaccination in case of close contact with an infected person, when infected blood enters the blood of a healthy person, is sometimes combined with the administration of a specific immunoglobulin, which theoretically should increase the chances that hepatitis will not develop.
UK guidelines state that initial responders (those who are immune through vaccination) need further protection (this applies to people at risk of hepatitis B). To maintain immunity to the hepatitis B virus, they are recommended to undergo repeated vaccination every five years.
Hepatitis B occurs most often in adults (peak incidence occurs in the age groups 20–49 years).
A reduction in morbidity in children and adolescents in developed countries has been achieved through regular vaccination.
In developing countries in Africa and Asia, most people with hepatitis B become infected during childhood. At the same time, up to 10% of the total population can be infected with the hepatitis B virus.
In these regions, liver cancer as a consequence of hepatitis B is one of the main causes of cancer mortality. Up to 25% of those affected in childhood die.
Where can you become infected with the hepatitis B virus?
In places where people who use injection drugs gather, in piercing and tattoo salons, hairdressers (manicure, pedicure).
Sadly, infection with the hepatitis B virus still occurs in medical institutions.
If we talk about geography, the prevalence of hepatitis B and its carriers is highest in the countries of Southeast Asia, the Pacific, South America (Amazon), Central and Southern Africa, and the countries of the Near and Middle East.
Among countries close to us, there are more HBsAg carriers (8% of the population or more) in the republics of Central Asia, Transcaucasia, and Moldova, according to WHO data.
The fewest carriers and patients are in North America and the countries of Northern and Western Europe.
How does infection spread?
The virus is transmitted through the blood or other biological fluids of a sick person, which enters directly into the blood of the infected person.
This occurs when sharing piercing and cutting objects (manicure set, shaving machines), one syringe for injecting drugs, piercing, tattooing using poorly processed instruments, during medical procedures, sexual intercourse and from an infected mother to a child during the passage of through the birth canal.
Transfusion of blood containing the hepatitis B virus (for example, taken from a donor who is sick) will also cause infection.
Is it possible to transmit hepatitis B sexually?
Yes, it's possible. If one of the sexual partners is a carrier of the infection, then the probability of transmitting the hepatitis B virus to the other partner is about 30%.
You are more likely to become infected if a person has many sexual partners, or one partner who has many sexual partners.
As a rule, it is impossible to tell by a person’s appearance whether he has hepatitis B or whether he can become infected from it.
It is believed that hepatitis B is the only sexually transmitted infection today for which one can be vaccinated.
Is it possible for a child to become infected from their parents?
If a mother has the hepatitis B virus, she may give birth to an infected child. Infection occurs during childbirth or disruption of the placenta during pregnancy (for example, during amniocentesis).
Statistics indicate a high risk of developing chronic hepatitis B and its adverse outcomes in children born from an infected mother.
Therefore, all such children are vaccinated against hepatitis B almost immediately after birth.
The virus is found in breast milk, but there is no risk of infection for the baby, breastfeeding is allowed.
Is it possible to become infected with hepatitis B through ordinary household contacts?
The hepatitis B virus is found in the saliva, tears, urine, and stool of infected individuals. If they come into contact with damaged skin and mucous membranes of another person, there is a risk of infection, but it is very small. Such transmission of the virus is possible in everyday life, most often among children.
It is believed that the virus does not penetrate through intact outer coverings (skin, mucous membranes). This means that hepatitis B is not transmitted through household contact, as well as through food, conversation, etc. d.
Therefore, a person with hepatitis B is not dangerous to others.
He should not be in social isolation.
Hepatitis B is one of the most dangerous viruses today; it is extremely tenacious and is able to remain active even in dried blood and other biological fluids for quite a long time. Although the incidence of this type of hepatitis is decreasing due to vaccinations, it is worth knowing how hepatitis B is transmitted.
Hepatitis B occurs predominantly in people 20–50 years of age; the incidence in children and adolescents has been reduced due to vaccines. At the same time, liver cancer, which develops as a result of the lesion, becomes the main cause of death from hepatitis.
The incubation period of the virus, when it does not yet manifest itself, can be quite long. It can last from a month to six months, it all depends on the state of the person’s immunity. The stronger your health, the slower the virus will activate. Also, the severity of the manifestations of the disease depends on the protective properties of the body: in people with reduced immunity, hepatitis almost immediately becomes chronic without any noticeable manifestations.
Knowing how you can become infected with the hepatitis B virus will help you stay as safe as possible. In addition, there are many stereotypes about the routes of infection with this disease, which harm not only healthy people, but also carriers of the virus.
Important! The main danger of the hepatitis virus is the invisibility and non-obviousness of the main symptoms.
The main route of infection with group B hepatitis is through blood or any other biological fluid. At the same time, the virus is very active, infection can occur within a few days, after the blood, for example, has completely dried on clothing or a hygiene item.
Therefore, there is a danger of infection wherever there may be contact with the biological fluids of other people. The risk of getting hepatitis B appears when visiting beauty salons, manicure, pedicure, permanent makeup, tattooing or piercing procedures if the instruments are not sterile enough.
Unfortunately, the risk of infection is also high in medical institutions and in the dentist's office. There is also a high probability of this in people with drug addiction and those who have many unprotected sexual contacts. In general, the following risk groups are distinguished:
- Healthcare workers who are constantly in contact with blood and other biological fluids.
- People with a large number of sexual partners who do not use protection.
- Family members, people living in the same house as a person infected with hepatitis B.
- People staying in prisons, where due to overcrowding and lack of hygiene, the risk of spreading any infection is always increased.
- People who inject drugs. Often injections are carried out in unsanitary conditions, with several people using one syringe.
People in risk groups are advised to get vaccinated against hepatitis B. Also, if health workers are at risk of infection, in a number of other cases a special drug is used - immunoglobulin, which reduces the risk of developing the disease. The effectiveness of such an injection is 60–90%, so vaccination in advance is preferable.
Also, people who have already had hepatitis B are not re-infected. People who have recovered from the disease will forever remain immune to this type of virus. In all other cases, you can become infected.
Since the virus is present in all bodily fluids, there is a possibility of infection from a person living in the same apartment. The virus can mainly remain on personal hygiene items and should never be shared with other people.
It is worth noting that, despite the high activity of the virus in all biological fluids, infection occurs only when the fluids come into contact with damaged human skin. Therefore, living with a person who knows about his diagnosis, possible ways he can accidentally infect others, and is undergoing full treatment is not dangerous. The disease is not transmitted by airborne droplets during conversation, while eating, or other similar situations.
If blood or other liquids get on any objects or clothing, it is advisable to disinfect them. Things should be washed and wiped with any antiseptic. Clothes should be washed at 60 degrees for at least half an hour or boiled for 3 to 4 minutes.
Important! All family members of a person with hepatitis B are recommended to be vaccinated.
Hepatitis B is transmitted sexually through unprotected sex, the probability of transmission of the virus is approximately 30%. The main way to protect against transmission of infection is condoms.
It is impossible to tell by a person’s appearance whether he has hepatitis B or not, so in any case it is advisable to be on the safe side. It is worth noting that this infection is the only sexually transmitted infection against which you can be vaccinated.
The virus is also transmitted through saliva, so there is a chance of becoming infected during a kiss if a healthy partner has microtraumas in the mouth, diseases of the teeth and gums, accompanied by bleeding.
During pregnancy, the child is safe; the placenta protects the fetus from the virus. However, the risk of transmitting the disease to the child arises if diseases appear that may compromise the integrity of the placenta, or during childbirth, if the child’s skin is injured.
Therefore, all children of infected mothers are vaccinated against hepatitis B immediately after birth. This disease can be extremely dangerous for a newborn, its consequences can lead to many disorders.
Breastfeeding with hepatitis B is quite safe if the mother does not have cracks or other nipple injuries. Otherwise, it is recommended to switch to artificial feeding.
How long do people with hepatitis B live?
Today, there are many effective methods for diagnosing and treating hepatitis B; this disease can be completely cured. The main cause of death from hepatitis is cirrhosis or liver cancer; if the disease is detected before complications develop, the prognosis is favorable.
The main thing during treatment is to follow all the recommendations of specialists and take any medications under the supervision of a doctor. It is also important to follow a diet; some nutritional rules will have to be followed throughout your life. People who have had hepatitis B are restricted from drinking alcohol for life.
If the virus cannot be completely eliminated, supportive treatment is provided. With a healthy lifestyle and constant monitoring of well-being, patients can live for decades without any noticeable problems.
A huge number of people around the world suffer from hepatitis B, and every year this figure is growing steadily. Most of the patients are people aged 20 to 45 years. Despite vaccination, the disease does not lose ground, although before the invention of the vaccine, it affected a much larger number of people. Hepatitis destroys liver cells, leading to severe complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.
There are only 4 types of the disease, but hepatitis B is considered the most common. It can affect all internal organs, blood vessels and joints in a short period of time and requires long-term complex treatment.
What is hepatitis B and how contagious is it?
Viral hepatitis B can take different forms and be accompanied by different symptoms. In some patients it does not manifest itself in any way and remains asymptomatic for a long time, while in others, on the contrary, it causes a violent reaction in the body. This is an autoimmune disease in which the body independently produces antibodies that attack its own healthy cells.
Hepatitis B, or serum hepatitis, is a DNA virus that is resistant to both high and low temperatures. It is impossible to grow it in laboratory conditions, which greatly complicates the process of studying the virus. Interestingly, hepatitis B is found not only in the blood, but also in all organs and tissues of the body.
Moreover, even a healthy person can be a carrier of the virus and pose a danger to others. The main danger is that the virus can retain its properties for a very long time, remaining on linen and any objects with traces of the patient’s blood. You can't get rid of it with plain water or cleaning powder. Only treatment with formaldehyde, chloramine or hydrogen peroxide will help here.
The risk group includes medical workers who are in direct contact with the blood of patients (nurses, laboratory assistants) and drug addicts. By the way, the latter get hepatitis B in more than 85% of cases.
Ways of infection with hepatitis B and its danger
Basically, the disease is transmitted through blood, but other routes of infection are also possible: through saliva, urine, semen. One drop of any physiological fluid applied to damaged skin, a scratch or abrasion is enough. A high risk of infection with hepatitis B is present during any surgical operations, from complex abdominal ones to the simplest ones (opening ulcers, treating cuts).
Often, infection is preceded by visits to manicure and tattoo parlors, plastic surgery and some cosmetic procedures. Even a routine visit to the dentist can be dangerous. You can also become infected through a kiss, if the integrity of the mucous layer in the oral cavity is damaged, or through sexual contact.
Most often, hepatitis B is diagnosed in drug addicts, when reusing dirty, contaminated syringes, as well as in patients who have received a transfusion of someone else's blood.
In everyday life, infection is also possible, and sharing a toothbrush, comb or razor with a sick person can lead to it. Especially if there are any small cuts and abrasions on the skin of a healthy person. At the same time, infection occurs in 98-100% of cases.
Another guaranteed method of transmission of the virus is transplacental (to a child from a sick mother during pregnancy). Most often, a child becomes infected during childbirth, passing through the birth canal or during breastfeeding.
The disease may not manifest itself in any way for a long time. So, from the moment of infection until the first symptoms appear, it can take about 4-6 months. At first, a person feels weak, vomiting, high fever, joint and muscle pain, nosebleeds, drowsiness, and bleeding gums. But it also happens that the disease appears suddenly, with constant vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite, and dizziness.
The liver becomes very enlarged, the feces become white, and the urine becomes very dark. All this is accompanied by yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes and mucous membranes. During this period, there is a deterioration in the condition, severe itching and skin rashes appear, the spleen enlarges, tachycardia, and hypotension are observed.
If treatment is started on time, the symptoms quickly go away, but it also happens that the body cannot cope with the infection and the disease becomes chronic. It, in turn, often ends in cirrhosis or oncology, acute liver failure.
Moreover, the acute stage of the disease lasts about a month, the subacute stage lasts 5-6 months, and only then does the chronic stage begin. Although there are cases where hepatitis immediately acquired a chronic form.
Watch a short video on the transmission routes and risks of hepatitis:
There are several variants of the course of the disease:
- erased;
- lung;
- subclinical (asymptomatic);
- average;
- heavy;
- anicteric.
In newborns, a malignant course of hepatitis is often diagnosed, accompanied by complete liver necrosis, intoxication and brain damage. This condition usually ends in death.
At the slightest suspicion of viral hepatitis, it is necessary to undergo a full clinical examination. It consists of a visual medical examination and palpation of the liver. Then, you need to donate blood for ALT and AST, to determine the condition of the liver cells, do an ultrasound and a biopsy.
Timely compulsory vaccination, which is given to young children immediately at birth and repeated at 3 and 6 months, will help to avoid the chronic development of pathology. In adults, the effect of the vaccine lasts for 7-10 years, after which revaccination is necessary.
Risk groups among ordinary people
Hepatitis vaccinations have significantly reduced the risk of developing the disease, especially in children. Adults (over 20 years old) often neglect repeated revaccination, which increases the risk of possible infection. In third world countries, this disease is much more common and is the main cause of liver cancer and subsequent high mortality.
The main routes of infection are blood and sexual contact. Through saliva, the virus is transmitted less frequently, and through coughing and sneezing, it is impossible to become infected.
How is hepatitis B transmitted at home?
The characteristic feature of the hepatitis B virus is that it is found in all physiological fluids of the human body: urine, saliva, blood, feces and tears. But it can only become infected if these liquids come into contact with the damaged skin of a healthy person, through open wounds, scratches, and abrasions.
You can become infected through shared utensils if a healthy, uninfected person has cracks or wounds in the mucous membrane of the mouth. Therefore, we can say that domestic infection is extremely rare.
During sexual intercourse with a patient with hepatitis, infection always occurs, and during a kiss, it is possible due to microcracks and scratches in the oral cavity. It is impossible to become a carrier of the virus through a handshake or a hug. During pregnancy, from a sick mother, the child does not always get hepatitis, but only in 5% of cases. But during childbirth, infection is guaranteed to occur.
The prognosis for the patient's life is generally favorable, but only if certain conditions are met. Timely treatment, giving up bad habits (alcohol, drugs and tobacco), following a diet, following all medical prescriptions and regularly taking medications is the key to a long and happy life.
If a person with hepatitis lives in a family, then some simple rules will help to avoid danger. Their strict observance will help protect healthy family members from infection.
Basic preventive measures:
- healthy lifestyle, giving up bad habits;
- individual personal hygiene items;
- visiting only proven cosmetology parlors and dental clinics;
- avoidance of casual sexual contacts;
- regular preventive medical examinations.
All family members living in the same apartment with a person with hepatitis are at risk. Therefore, all precautions must be carefully observed. Even the slightest scratch on the skin of a healthy person can lead to disease. If you suspect hepatitis B, you must consult a doctor for examination and blood donation.
Conclusion
- Hepatitis B is a dangerous and very serious disease transmitted through bodily fluids and blood.
- You can protect yourself from the disease with regular hepatitis vaccinations every 10 years.
- Compliance with basic personal hygiene measures can protect against infection at home.
- A healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition, and avoidance of tattoos and piercings reduce the risk of the disease.
- You can become infected with hepatitis only when blood, saliva, or urine from a patient gets into a wound or abrasion on the skin of a healthy person.
- Unprotected sexual intercourse always leads to the development of hepatitis B.
Watch a video with doctors' advice on how to avoid or cure hepatitis B:
Hepatologist, Gastroenterologist, Nutritionist
Svetlana Vladimirovna sees patients with liver and gastrointestinal diseases of varying severity. Thanks to her knowledge in nutrition, based on diagnostics, she carries out a full range of therapy for intra-abdominal organs.