Courtesy of Patricia Walker,
MD,
Ramsey Clinic Associates,
St. Paul, MN
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this woman is not pregnant
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she has hepatitis B and is suffering from liver cancer
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photo taken in a Thailand refugee camp
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this woman was a Cambodian refugee
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she died 4 months after she arrived in the camp (average life
expectancy after diagnosis of liver cancer is 6 months)
Hepatitis B
•
serious liver disease caused by a virus (germ)
Hepatitis B virus (germ)
• enters the blood stream, attacks
the liver, and can cause
severe illness with ongoing liver damage
•
spreads through
•
contact with infected blood or body
fluids
•
using unsterilized needles
•
sexual contact with a person who has hepatitis B
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sharing toothbrushes, razors, or washcloths
•
babies can be infected during childbirth if mother is infected
•
babies and young children can be infected if infected person
pre-chews baby's food
•
sharing a household with someone who is a hepatitis B
carrier
Once infected
•
takes 6 weeks to 6 months to get sick
•
if infected as a baby or young child, there is a great chance
of becoming a hepatitis B carrier
•
if infected as an older child or adult, hepatitis B will go away
in about 9 out of 10 people
Symptoms
•
over half of people who get hepatitis B have no symptoms
•
for people who do develop symptoms, they might include
the following:
•
loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting
•
pain and swelling in
stomach
•
weakness and tiredness
•
yellow skin and eyes
•
fever and headaches
Complications
•
some people who get hepatitis B infection will have more
serious health problems like
•
permanent, severe liver damage
(scarring of the liver)
•
cancer of the liver
•
death
Hepatitis B is easy to prevent with
vaccine. All children and many adults need to be vaccinated.
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1573
Selby Avenue