After the virus enters your body, there are no symptoms for one to six months. This is known as the incubation period.
Many people never have any symptoms. Some people may only have a mild illness and are not ill enough to see a doctor. Many people, perhaps over 30%, may not know they are infected and can pass on the virus to others. A few people develop a serious illness and need to be looked after in hospital.
There may be general symptoms such as tiredness, aches and pains, a fever and/or a loss of appetite, which may be diagnosed as flu. Some people find it harder to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol.
Other general symptoms you may also have include:
- nausea (feeling sick) and sickness
- stomach ache
- diarrhoea
- jaundice.
Jaundice is caused by too much of a yellow substance called bilirubin building up in your body. Bilirubin is a waste product your liver normally gets rid of in your bowel motions. When your liver is not working properly, bilirubin builds up in your body. It is easily noticeable because the whites of your eyes go yellow.
In more serious cases:
- your skin goes yellow
- your urine may turn dark
- your bowel motions become pale..
But remember, most people will not present (show) clear symptoms when they visit the doctor. Hepatitis B is known as a 'silent' disease because continuous and ongoing damage to your liver may be occurring without noticeable symptoms.
What is the difference between acute and chronic hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B can cause an acute or a chronic illness. An acute illness is one that gets better quickly, usually within weeks, or, at the most, a few months. A chronic illness is one that lasts more than six months, possibly for the rest of your llife. Sometimes symptoms come and go.
Acute hepatitis B
It will take a while to recover from acute hepatitis B. Most people feel better within a few weeks, although they may feel tired and not have much energy for many months. Other people may recover without ever realising they have been infected. For a few people who develop severe acute hepatitis B, a liver transplant can save their life.
Chronic hepatitis B Hepatitis B is called chronic when the infection lasts longer than six months. Some people have the virus in their bodies for a long time, sometimes for life, without experiencing any symptoms. They are known as carriers and may not know that they are infected. Some carriers develop liver disease while others remain healthy. Most carriers are infectious, but some get rid of the virus after several years. About 25% of carriers develop serious liver disease, including chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. After many years a small number of them go on to develop primary liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Between five and 10% of people with acute hepatitis B may go on to have chronic hepatitis B. The earlier you are infected in life the higher your chance of developing chronic illness. Cirrhosis
This is usually the result of long-term, continuous damage to the liver. Irregular bumps, known as nodules, replace the smooth liver tissue and the liver becomes harder. The effect of this, together with continued scarring from fibrosis, means that the liver will run out of healthy cells to support normal functions. This can lead to complete liver failure.
In most cases a liver transplant will be necesssary if you are to survive.