Hepatitis B

What it is. Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver. It spreads through blood, sexual contact, and from parent to baby during birth. In adults, many infections clear on their own; sometimes it becomes a long-term (chronic) infection that needs monitoring.

How you'd know. Some people get tiredness, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), nausea, or belly pain; many have no symptoms and only find out through a blood test.

How it's tested. A blood test that looks at three markers together — whether the virus is present, whether you've been infected before, and whether you're immune (protected). Your provider reads them as a set.

Is it curable? Chronic hepatitis B isn't "cured," but it is very manageable. Acute infection in adults often clears by itself. When treatment is needed, daily medicine keeps the virus controlled and protects the liver.

Treatment. Acute hepatitis B is usually managed with rest and supportive care. Chronic hepatitis B is followed by a liver or infectious-disease specialist, who may start antiviral medicine (such as tenofovir or entecavir) and monitor your liver over time.

The best part — it's preventable. There is a safe, effective vaccine. If you're not already immune, we can offer it. In pregnancy, everyone is tested; if a parent has hepatitis B, the baby is protected at birth with an injection (HBIG) plus the vaccine, which works very well.

Hepatitis C is different — it has its own testing, treatment, and its own AHC information site.