What is hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a virus that may harm your liver. People get hepatitis B from the blood of a person who already has the virus.
Hepatitis B does not usually make children feel sick, but it is important to have regular check-ups to make sure your liver stays healthy. This is because sometimes a person's liver can be sick without making them feel sick.
What is the liver?
Your liver is an important organ of your body that does many jobs. Your liver helps to clean your blood, helps you to use the energy in the food you eat and helps you grow.
What is a virus?
A virus is a type of germ that can cause illness or disease. Some viruses are easy to get and fight off, like the ones that cause a cold. Other viruses are hard to get and fight off, like hepatitis B.
What does the immune system do with hepatitis B?
Your immune system is like an army inside your body. It is designed to fight off viruses and other germs. When your immune system is fighting a virus (like a cold) you may feel sick and have a cough or runny nose. Once your immune system wins the fight, most viruses go away and you feel better.
Hepatitis B is very good at hiding from your immune system. Because your immune system cannot find the virus to fight, the hepatitis B virus does not usually go away.
How did I get hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is carried in your blood and other liquids in your body. To get hepatitis B, the blood of someone who has hepatitis B had to get mixed in to your blood.
Some children get hepatitis B from their mom. This can happen if the mom already has hepatitis B and some of her blood gets mixed with baby's blood around the time the baby is born.
Some children may get hepatitis B from living with a family member who has hepatitis B.
Other children may get hepatitis B from coming into contact with needles or other equipment that have the virus on them. This is why it is important not to touch needles or other sharp objects that you may find in a park or elsewhere.
Can I give hepatitis B to someone else?
This is not likely to happen. It is important that you do not let anyone else touch your blood; you should not touch anyone else's blood either.
You should not share your toothbrush with anyone else because sometimes there might be tiny amounts of blood on it that you cannot see. When you are older, if you use a razor for shaving, you should not share it with anyone else either.
You cannot give someone else hepatitis B by playing with them, sitting next to them at school, hugging them or kissing them.
Will my hepatitis B ever go away?
For most people, hepatitis B does not go away and it might stay with you for your whole life. To stay healthy when you have hepatitis B, it is important to take care of yourself and your liver.
How do I take care of my liver?
The best way to take care of your liver is to eat healthy foods and to be active. It is also important to see your doctor or nurse at least once a year for a check-up. You may need to have blood work done or a picture of your liver (called an ultrasound) taken so that you know your liver is happy and healthy. When you are older, you need to be careful to avoid things that might harm your liver, like too much alcohol or certain medications.
Is there anything I should not do because of hepatitis B?
No. You should go to school and take part in activities just like your friends.
Who do I have to tell about my hepatitis B?
People who should know about your hepatitis B are your doctors, nurses and dentist.
Other people do not have to know about your hepatitis B unless you want them to. It is up to you who you tell about hepatitis B. If you tell someone about hepatitis B, you have to teach them about it. It is a good idea if you talk to a parent or the person that takes care of you before you tell anyone about your hepatitis B so they can help you explain it properly.