Hepatitis B Treatment - Procedure, Cost And Side Effects

Hepatitis B affects the liver. However, for many individuals, the virus does not show any symptoms, and many people would be unaware of the fact that they have the virus. There are two stages of the virus – The acute stage and the chronic stage. In the acute stage, the virus has been diagnosed before, and the doctor focuses on avoiding its spread and the damage to the liver. In many cases, you might not need any treatment as the virus has a tendency to dissolve on its own. Often the doctor might suggest changes to your dietary pattern and intake of fluids. Also, you have to make some changes to your lifestyle. For safer results, once you have been diagnosed with the virus you might have to take the Hepatitis B immunoglobulin shot along with the hepatitis B vaccine shot. In the chronic cases, your doctor’s primary focus would be to curtail the spread of the virus and to prevent the further damages to your liver. Antiviral medications might be given to achieve this. However hepatitis B medicines may not be suitable for everyone, and there could be some side effects when undergoing the treatment.

The hepatitis B treatment depends on how far the virus has spread in your body and how much damage your liver has undergone. The treatment also depends majorly on how free your body is from other chronic medical ailments. The best treatment that can ultimately curb the virus from becoming active in your body is to take the hepatitis B vaccine. Also, you really have to be careful, and you should avoid from getting an unprotected sex. Also there more chances of you getting the infection from sharing the needles with your drug partner. The virus strain can be either acute or chronic. For the acute cases, you might not need any medications. You have to change your dietary patterns, and you have intake a lot of fluids. However, you have to go for regular visits to your doctor to check for the activeness of the virus. In chronic cases, you may have to depend on medications, and these can be for an extended period. The medications act differently for every individual, and there is no specific time limit for getting cured. In advanced cases when your liver is beyond repair, a liver transplant might be the only solution, and even that cannot be possible for many individuals.

Anyone who is diagnosed with the hepatitis B virus and anyone who feel that they might have contracted the virus through unsafe sex or contact injections have to undergo the treatment. In case you have an acute condition- meaning that the virus is short lived, you might not have to undergo the treatment. Changing your lifestyle patterns and having plenty of fluids and dietary changes are more than enough.

The treatment depends on how severe the condition is and how far the virus has spread in your body. The antiviral medicines suitable for one body type may not be suitable for the other individual. Have a detailed evaluation with your doctor and look for the symptoms. If you are suffering from other chronic medical conditions, you might not be a suitable candidate to take these medications.

Yes, these antiviral drugs and medications are of strong dosages, and there can be side effects that can be short term to long term. Consult with your doctor about your medical conditions and take care of the symptoms that can arise as a result of using these medications. There can be some interferon shots given to young people who do not want long-term treatments, and those side effects can include depression and difficulty in breathing.

The post treatment guidelines are very much mandatory when undergoing the medications. You need to make lots of changes to your lifestyle and in most cases your eating habits. Technically your care for your liver should double, and you might not want to indulge in any activity that can hamper your liver again. You have to ultimately curb your smoking and drinking activities and refrain from using drugs. Also, the medications have to be taken religiously and should never be skipped.

The recovery period depends on how much the virus has affected your liver and how far your body has cooperated with the antiviral drugs. For some, the results of the treatment can be immediate, but for others, it can be long term. The antiviral drugs may also not work across for some sections of people. Consult with your doctor about these implications and the recovery period.

The vaccinations are the best forms of treatment from hepatitis B, and these can cost around INR 1,000 per shot. The treatment cost and the antiviral medicines can be extremely costly with each antiviral injection costing up to INR 4000. Also, these have to be taken for a long term, and the post-treatment medications can be additional.

Once you are vaccinated, you will not have a chance of getting the virus. For others who have undergone the treatment options, you would not have the symptoms again, but still, the damage to your liver in some cases can be permanent. It depends on how far the virus has affected your liver and how your body has responded to the treatment.

Vaccination is the best and the only alternative for the hepatitis B virus. Also, the other best option is to be safe from your end and always have protected sex and do not abuse drugs. Do not share needles and if possible get the vaccination when you are young. Also, lead a healthy lifestyle with a proper diet intake.