What should you know about hepatitis B CDC?

A person may acquire hepatitis B through sex, shared needles, unsterile instruments, or contact during birth. The infection can be silent, so feeling healthy does not exclude it. Possible symptoms include fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, fever, pain beneath the ribs, yellow skin or eyes and dark urine. A symptom such as fatigue has many possible causes and cannot diagnose hepatitis B.

Blood testing can identify infection and help clinicians understand its timing. Liver tests, including a liver function test, help assess the effect on the liver. The same result does not mean every person needs the same follow-up.

Arrange testing when a clinician recommends it or after contact with infected blood or body fluids. Do not share needles, razors or toothbrushes; cover wounds and use condoms until you receive personal advice. Ask whether partners and household members should be tested or vaccinated. If infection is found, keep follow-up appointments and discuss alcohol and medicines that may affect the liver.

Get medical advice quickly after a meaningful exposure, even without symptoms. Seek urgent assessment for yellowing, very dark urine plus marked illness, severe vomiting, strong abdominal pain, confusion or extreme sleepiness. Call emergency services for collapse, major bleeding or a person who cannot be woken normally.

Ask which blood tests are relevant, whether liver function needs checking, what your result says about current infection, and whether further monitoring or treatment is needed. Ask how to reduce household transmission and whether vaccination is suitable for close contacts.