What's Hepatitis?

Do you want to know what hepatitis B is? The doctors say:

Hepatitis B is a potentially serious form of liver inflammation due to infection by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It occurs in both rapidly developing (acute) and long-lasting (chronic) forms, and is one of the commonest chronic infectious diseases worldwide. An effective vaccine is available which will prevent the disease in those who are later exposed.

Commonly called "serum hepatitis," hepatitis B ranges from mild to very severe. Some people who are infected by HBV develop no symptoms and are totally unaware of the fact, but they may carry HBV in their blood and pass the infection on to others. In its chronic form, HBV infection may destroy the liver through a scarring process, called cirrhosis, or it may lead to cancer of the liver.

When a person is infected by HBV, the virus enters the bloodstream and body fluids, and is able to pass through tiny breaks in the skin, mouth, or the male or female genital area. There are several ways of getting the infection:
During birth, a mother with hepatitis B may pass HBV on to her infant.

Contact with infected blood is a common means of transmitting hepatitis B. One way this may happen is by being stuck with a needle. Both healthcare workers and those who inject drugs into their veins are at risk in this way.
Having sex with a person infected by HBV is an important risk factor (especially anal sex).

Although there are many ways of passing on HBV, the virus actually is not very easily transmitted. There is no need to worry that casual contact, such as shaking hands, will expose one to hepatitis B. There is no reason not to share a workplace or even a bathroom with an infected person.

My Hepatitis

It was April 1990 when I knew for the first time that I suffered from Hepatitis B. I was in my first early pregnancy. By the time Hepatitis B was an unhealed disease. My mom died four years before caused by Hepatitis B expanded to liver cancer, so were my grandma and grand grandma. In her pregnancy my aunt Wiwik suffered from Hepatitis B too. Her infant was catched by the virus and died six months after his born.
You can imagine how sad I was, felt so hopeless that I cried day by day.

But thank God for giving me two healthy sons.

I check my health every two or three years. Although the blood’s test shows the virus still stays in my liver, so far my liver works properly, and I feel healthy and strong.

People say a chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer after 15-20 years. And now, I’ve been suffering a cronic carrier hepatitis for at least 15 years. Will the virus bring me to the horrific diseases? I just hope for recovering, nothing else.