What I need to know

about Hepatitis B about Hepatitis B

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

U.S. Department

of Health and

Human Services
What I need to know

about Hepatitis B

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
16

Contents

What is hepatitis B? .............................................. 1

What causes hepatitis B? ...................................... 1

How could I get hepatitis B? ................................ 2

What are the symptoms? ...................................... 3

What are the tests for hepatitis B? ...................... 4

How is hepatitis B treated? .................................. 5

How can I protect myself? .................................... 6

For More Information .......................................... 8

More in the Series ................................................. 9

Acknowledgments................................................. 10
1

Liver

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a liver disease.

Hepatitis (HEP-ah-TY-tis)

makes your liver swell and

stops it from working right.

You need a healthy liver.

The liver does many

things to keep you

alive. The liver fights

infections and stops

bleeding. It removes

drugs and other poisons

from your blood. The

liver also stores energy

for when you need it.

What causes hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus.

A virus is a germ that causes sickness. (For example,

the flu is caused by a virus.) People can pass viruses

to each other. The virus that causes hepatitis B is

called the hepatitis B virus.
2

How could I get hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is spread by contact with an infected

person’s blood, semen, or other body fluid.

You could get hepatitis B by

● having sex with an

infected person

without using a

condom

● sharing drug needles

● having a tattoo or body piercing done with

dirty tools that were used on someone else

● getting pricked with a needle that has

infected blood on it (health care workers

can get hepatitis B this way)

● living with someone who has hepatitis B

● sharing a toothbrush or razor with an

infected person

● traveling to countries where hepatitis B is

common

An infected woman can give hepatitis B to her

baby at birth or through her breast milk.

You can NOT get hepatitis B by

● shaking hands with an infected person

● hugging an infected person

● sitting next to an infected person
3

What are the symptoms?

Hepatitis B can make you feel like

you have the flu.

You might

● feel tired

● feel sick to

your stomach

● have a fever

● not want to eat

● have stomach pain

● have diarrhea

Some people have

● dark yellow urine

● light-colored stools

● yellowish eyes and skin

Some people don’t have any symptoms.

If you have symptoms or think you might have

hepatitis B, go to a doctor.
4

What are the tests for hepatitis B?

To check for hepatitis B, the doctor will test

your blood.

These tests show if you have hepatitis B and how

serious it is.

The doctor will take some blood to check for

hepatitis B.

The doctor may also do a liver biopsy.

A biopsy (BYE-op-see) is a simple test. The doctor

removes a tiny piece of your liver through a needle.

The doctor checks the piece of liver for signs of

hepatitis B and liver damage.
5

How is hepatitis B treated?

Treatment for hepatitis B may involve

● A drug called interferon (in-ter-FEAR-on).

It is given through shots. Most people are

treated for 4 months.

● A drug called lamivudine (la-MIV-you-deen).

You take it by mouth once a day. Treatment is

usually for one year.

● A drug called adefovir dipivoxil (uh-DEH-fohveer dih-pih-VOX-ill). You take it by mouth

once a day. Treatment is usually for one year.

● Surgery. Over time, hepatitis B may cause

your liver to stop working. If that happens,

you will need a new liver. The surgery is called

a liver transplant. It involves taking out the

old, damaged liver and putting in a new,

healthy one from a donor.

Hepatitis B is

treated through

shots of medicine.
6

How can I protect myself?

You can get the hepatitis B vaccine.

A vaccine is a drug that you take when you are

healthy that keeps you from getting sick. Vaccines

teach your body to attack certain viruses, like the

hepatitis B virus.

The hepatitis B vaccine is given through three

shots. All babies should get the vaccine. Infants

get the first shot within 12 hours after birth. They

get the second shot at age 1 to 2 months and the

third shot between ages 6 and 18 months.

Older children and adults can get the vaccine, too.

They get three shots over 6 months. Children who

have not had the vaccine should get it.

You need all of the shots to be protected. If you

are traveling to other countries, make sure you get

all the shots before you go. If you miss a shot, call

your doctor or clinic right away to set up a new

appointment.

Vaccines protect

you from getting

hepatitis B.
7

People who touch blood at

work should wear gloves to

protect themselves from

hepatitis B.

You can also protect yourself and others from

hepatitis B if you

● use a condom when you have sex

● don’t share drug needles with anyone

● wear gloves if you have to touch

anyone’s blood

● don’t use an infected

person’s toothbrush,

razor, or anything else

that could have blood

on it

● make sure any tattooing

or body piercing is done

with clean tools
8

For More Information

You can also get information about hepatitis B

from these groups:

American Liver Foundation (ALF)

75 Maiden Lane, Suite 603

New York, NY 10038–4810

Phone: 1–800–GO–LIVER (465–4837),

1–888–4HEP–USA (443–7872),

or (212) 668–1000

Fax: (212) 483–8179

Email: info@liverfoundation.org

Internet: www.liverfoundation.org

Hepatitis B Foundation

700 East Butler Avenue

Doylestown, PA 18901–2697

Phone: (215) 489–4900

Fax: (215) 489–4920

Email: info@hepb.org

Internet: www.hepb.org

Hepatitis Foundation International (HFI)

504 Blick Drive

Silver Spring, MD 20904–2901

Phone: 1–800–891–0707 or (301) 622–4200

Fax: (301) 622–4702

Email: hfi@comcast.net

Internet: www.hepfi.org
9

More in the Series

There are other types of hepatitis. The National

Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse also

has booklets about hepatitis A and hepatitis C:

● What I need to know about Hepatitis A

● What I need to know about Hepatitis C

You can get a free copy of each of these booklets by

calling 1–800–891–5389 or (301) 654–3810, or by

writing to

NDDIC

2 Information Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3570

Hepatitis information for health professionals is

also available.
10

Acknowledgments

The individuals listed here provided editorial

guidance or facilitated field testing for this

publication. The National Digestive Diseases

Information Clearinghouse would like to thank

them for their contribution.

Bruce Bacon, M.D.

Chair, Education

Committee

American Liver

Foundation

New York, NY

Luby GarzaAbijaoude,

M.S., R.D., L.D.

Texas Department

of Health

Austin, TX

Thelma Thiel,

R.N., B.A.

Hepatitis Foundation

International

Cedar Grove, NJ
11

National Digestive Diseases

Information Clearinghouse

2 Information Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3570

Phone: 1–800–891–5389 or (301) 654–3810

Fax: (301) 907–8906

Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

(NDDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes

and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK

is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services. Established in

1980, the clearinghouse provides information about digestive

diseases to people with digestive disorders and to their

families, health care professionals, and the public. NDDIC

answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and

works closely with professional and patient organizations and

Government agencies to coordinate resources about digestive

diseases.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are carefully

reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.

This publication is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse

encourages users of this booklet to duplicate and distribute

as many copies as desired.

This booklet is also available at www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

NIH Publication No. 04–4228

December 2003