Overview

Hepatitis is a type of liver disease. It can lead to serious liver damage and sometimes liver cancer. If you have hepatitis, you can spread it to other people even if you don't feel sick.

A virus causes most types of hepatitis. Two of the most common ones are hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV).

Both HBV and HCV can make you sick and hurt your liver over time. But they are not the same. You don't always catch the viruses in the same way. And treatment for the two types is very different. Knowing these differences can help you take better care of your health.

Causes

You can catch hepatitis B or hepatitis C when you come in contact with one or both of the viruses. That means it is contagious. But the viruses spread in different ways.

Hepatitis B (HBV) spreads through blood and body fluids such as saliva, semen and vaginal fluids. Common ways that you can get hepatitis B are:

• Having sex.
• Sharing needles used to inject drugs.
• Being stuck by a contaminated needle, called a needlestick injury.
• Getting dialysis.

A pregnant person who has HBV can spread the virus to the baby during birth. Less commonly, you might get hepatitis B by sharing personal items such as razors or toothbrushes.

Hepatitis C (HCV) spreads mainly by touching blood that has the virus in it. Most people get it by sharing needles used to take drugs. Less often, hepatitis C can spread through childbirth, unprotected sex or unsafe tattooing practices.

You do not get hepatitis B or C by:

• Hugging or kissing.
• Sharing food.
• Coughing or sneezing.

You can have hepatitis B and hepatitis C at the same time. The six months after getting a hepatitis B or C infection is called an acute infection. If the virus stays in your body for more than six months, it's called a chronic infection.

Symptoms

Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) often cause the same symptoms. But the symptoms are very general. Some people don't feel sick at all.

Symptoms of hepatitis B and hepatitis C may include one or more of these:

• Belly pain on the upper right side.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Not feeling hungry.
• Tiredness.
• Clay-colored stools.
• Dark urine.
• Joint pain.
• Yellowing of the whites of the eyes and the skin, called jaundice. Depending on skin color, this change may be harder or easier to see.

The time between when the virus first gets into your body and when you might show symptoms is called the incubation period. This time is slightly different for hepatitis B and C.

• Hepatitis B symptoms may appear around 1 to 5 months after you are infected.
• Hepatitis C symptoms may happen about 2 weeks to 6 months after you are infected.

Preventing the infections

Hepatitis B (HBV) can be prevented with a vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for all babies, children and any adults who haven't received it yet. If a baby is born to someone with HBV, the vaccine and a shot of medicine called hepatitis B immune globulin can greatly lower the chance of infection. You also should take steps to stay away from contaminated blood and body fluids. For example, practice safe sex and don't share needles or razors.

Hepatitis C is different because there's no vaccine currently available. The best way to prevent hep C is to practice safe sex and not share needles or other equipment used to inject drugs.

Screening for hepatitis B and C

Many people with hepatitis do not feel sick until liver damage happens. So it's important to get checked for the condition.

Screening recommendations for hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) are generally the same. Healthcare professionals say that all adults should be tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C at least once, even if they feel fine. Hepatitis screening tests also should be done during every pregnancy. A pregnant person with hepatitis can spread the virus to the baby during childbirth. A baby born to someone with hepatitis also should be checked.

Your healthcare team also may recommend testing for hepatitis if you know you've been exposed or if you have behaviors or habits that raise your risk.

Blood tests can tell if you have hepatitis B or hepatitis C, or both.

To test for hepatitis B, the lab usually does three tests. The tests look for a current infection, past infection, and if you are protected by the HBV vaccine. It can take up to four weeks for traces of the hepatitis B virus to show up in a blood test.

To test for hepatitis C, the lab usually does two tests at different times. The first one checks if you have been infected with HCV. It can take up to six months for the virus to show up in a blood test. If it's positive, a second test is done to tell if the virus is still active in your body.

If your tests are negative but you think you've been around the hepatitis B or C virus, your healthcare team may do the test again at a later date.

Treatment differences

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are treated differently. One can be cured but the other can't.

Hepatitis C can be cured with medicines called antivirals. A newer type called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) stops the virus from making more copies in the body. Most people with hepatitis C who get this medicine are rid of the virus after a few months of treatment. You are considered cured when there is no sign of the virus in your blood after 12 weeks.

Hepatitis B is different because there is no cure. But antiviral medicines called nucleoside-nucleotide analogs may be given to help manage your symptoms. The medicines also can help stop further harm to your liver. You may need to take these hepatitis B medicines for life.

If you have both infections, you may get the different types of hepatitis medicines at the same time. It's possible to cure hepatitis C while you have hepatitis B. But your healthcare team may do extra tests to watch for changes and keep your liver safe. Talk with your healthcare team about the best hepatitis medicine for you.

Outlook

When treated, most people with acute hepatitis B get better and do not have lasting liver damage. But most babies who get hepatitis B at birth have a long-lasting infection, also called a chronic infection. The younger you are when you get hepatitis B, the higher your risk is of it becoming chronic.

Most people with acute hepatitis C also end up having a long-lasting infection. Both chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C may last a lifetime. Each infection raises the risk of serious health conditions, including liver scarring called cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. If you think you might have risk factors for or symptoms of hepatitis B or C, it's important to get a health checkup right away.

If you have questions about the differences between hepatitis B and hepatitis C, talk with your healthcare team.

• تبادلها عبر
• ارسلها في تغريدة

29/08/2025 انظر المزيد من التفاصيل الشاملة