Symptoms of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can cause a range of symptoms that vary in severity from mild to severe.
Symptoms of HBV infection include, but are not limited to:
- loss of appetite
- fatigue
- fever
- nausea, vomiting, and/or abdominal pain
- joint pain
- jaundice seen in the eyes (often first appears in the eyes)
Jaundice, also called icterus, is a yellowing of the skin or eyes and occurs in the more serious phase of Hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B can damage the liver, resulting in decreased liver function.
As the liver's ability to filter waste from the blood decreases, the concentration of waste in the blood increases.
Only about 50 to 60 percent of individuals infected with Hepatitis B virus show symptoms. It is important to understand even without symptoms, HBV-infected individuals are still infectious to others.
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1-3. Which organ can hepatitis B damage?
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