That means theres no more virus in your body, but antibody tests will show that you had hepatitis B in the past. If the infection is active for longer than 6 months, your doctor will tell you that you have chronic active hepatitis B.

How long can you have hepatitis B without knowing?

Many people with Hepatitis B have no symptoms and do not know they are infected. If symptoms occur with acute infection, they usually appear within 3 months of exposure and can last anywhere from 2–12 weeks. Symptoms of chronic Hepatitis B can take up to 30 years to develop.

Can hepatitis B lay dormant for years?

A chronic hepatitis B infection can go undetected for years – even decades in many cases. The longer a hepatitis B infection is left untreated, the more susceptible you are to developing severe scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and liver cancer.

How long does it take to test positive for hepatitis B?

How long after exposure to HBV can HBsAg be detected in an infected patients blood? HBsAg will be detected in an infected persons blood an average of 4 weeks (range: 1–9 weeks) after exposure to the virus.

Can hepatitis B last for years?

It lingers because your immune system cant fight off the infection. Chronic hepatitis B infection may last a lifetime, possibly leading to serious illnesses such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Does hepatitis B stay with you for life?

Some people with hepatitis B are sick for only a few weeks (known as “acute” infection), but for others, the disease progresses to a serious, lifelong illness known as chronic hepatitis B.

Can your body heal itself from hepatitis B?

Is hepatitis B curable? Theres no cure for hepatitis B. The good news is it usually goes away by itself in 4 to 8 weeks. More than 9 out of 10 adults who get hepatitis B totally recover.

Should I be worried about hepatitis B?

People with Hepatitis B Can Lead Healthy Lives If you have hepatitis B, you should see your doctor regularly to get blood tests to monitor your viral load and liver status. If there are signs of inflammation, your doctor can begin taking antiviral medications to prevent further inflammation.

How do you cure hepatitis B reactive?

Several antiviral medications — including entecavir (Baraclude), tenofovir (Viread), lamivudine (Epivir), adefovir (Hepsera) and telbivudine (Tyzeka) — can help fight the virus and slow its ability to damage your liver. These drugs are taken by mouth. Talk to your doctor about which medication might be right for you.