Use Equipment Hepatitis B Test An Accurate

Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver, which follows a very variable course. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) can cause an acute illness that resolves itself quickly without causing long-term liver damage. However, in about 20% of cases it causes a chronic illness that lasts more than six months, sometimes for life, with symptoms that come and go. In 15-40% of those with chronic infection cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure develop, and so the infection may eventually be fatal.

The virus is usually transmitted through contact with infected blood or body fluids. Only a tiny amount of blood is needed to transmit the virus because it's so infectious. The hepatitis B virus may also be present in saliva, vaginal secretions, breast milk and other bodily fluids. Many people contract hepatitis B while on holiday, especially in countries where it is very prevalent, when unprotected sex, experimenting with drugs and accidents needing medical treatment are far more likely.

The incubation period of the hepatitis B virus before symptoms develop is between six weeks and six months. In the acute phase symptoms vary. Roughly one-third of cases have no symptoms - this is called a silent or subclinical infection, or sometimes anicteric infection, meaning there is no jaundice or yellow appearance of the skin and membranes. In another third of cases, the infection causes mild symptoms similar to those of a flu-like illness, with weakness, aches, headache, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, jaundice, nausea and vomiting. In the final third of cases, the acute phase of infection can cause severe illness that last many months. In addition to the flu-like symptoms, there's abdominal pain, diarrhoea and jaundice.

Jaundice occurs in hepatitis infections because the liver becomes unable to remove a substance called bilirubin from the blood. This is a pigment that builds up in the body, causing the skin and whites of the eyes to turn yellow. Rarely, rapid liver failure develops, which may need a life-saving liver transplant. In as many as one in five cases, the infection then goes into a chronic phase, where people may be apparently healthy with no symptoms but carrying and shedding the virus (known as healthy carriers). Alternatively, they may develop a chronic active hepatitis, with similar symptoms to the acute phase of the infection and also fatigue, poor appetite, nausea and abdominal discomfort. 

Practising safe sex by using condoms and not sharing needles when using drugs can reduce the risk of infection. The same advice applies when travelling. When having any body piercing, tattoo or acupuncture, make sure the business is registered with the local authority, that the needles used are disposable and that an autoclave is used for any equipment that's sterilised. If the proprietor cannot confirm these, go elsewhere. Normal social contact carries no risk of infection. You can't catch hepatitis B from toilet seats or by touching an infected person. Clothing with the virus is thought to be killed by a normal hot wash in a washing machine, and by washing-up liquid and hot water for plates and cutlery.

The vast majority of people infected with hepatitis B are able to fight off the virus and fully recover from the infection within a couple of months. The infection can be unpleasant to live with, but usually causes no lasting harm.

But for the small minority of people who go on to develop cirrhosis of the liver, and in some cases liver cancer, the outlook is poor.

Therefore it's important to get yourself vaccinated if you fall into one of the high-risk groups for catching hepatitis B.

Home Bio Test Hepatitis B rapid test determines if antibodies to the hepatitis B virus exist in your body. This test is easy-to-use in your own home and guarantees complete confidentiality. The Silent Killer, Hepatitis B is a growing public health concern. Home Bio Test gives you a way to obtain a confidential answer to the question of your own Hepatitis status.