What should you know about hepatitis B symptoms?

When symptoms occur, they may resemble a general viral illness: reduced appetite, nausea, vomiting, low energy, fever, joint discomfort, or pain beneath the ribs on the right side. Liver inflammation can make urine darker and stools lighter, and can cause jaundice. Symptoms may appear after an interval following exposure, and long-term infection can remain quiet while still needing medical monitoring. [Fatigue](/symptoms/fatigue/) and [Dark Urine](/symptoms/dark-urine/) are not specific to hepatitis B.

If symptoms suggest liver illness or you have had a possible exposure, arrange hepatitis testing rather than relying on symptoms. Tell the clinician about sexual contact, shared needles or personal items, household exposure, travel, pregnancy, and vaccination history. Avoid alcohol until you have medical advice, and do not start supplements or medicines without checking whether they affect the liver. A [Liver Function Test](/treatments/diagnostics-and-screening/liver-function-test/) may be included with virus-specific blood tests.

Seek urgent care for confusion, extreme sleepiness, repeated vomiting, severe abdominal pain, unusual bleeding, or rapidly worsening jaundice. Contact a clinician promptly for new yellowing of the eyes, persistent dark urine, or symptoms after a known exposure. Do not wait for symptoms if a healthcare professional has advised testing; hepatitis B can be silent. See the overview of [Hepatitis B](/conditions/hepatitis-b/).

Ask which hepatitis tests are appropriate, when results will be available, whether liver tests are needed, how to protect household and sexual contacts, and whether contacts should receive [Hepatitis B Vaccination](/treatments/preventive-care-and-vaccination/hepatitis-b-vaccination/).