liver and gallbladder disorders
Hepatitis B, Chronic
Symptoms of Chronic Hepatitis B
Symptoms of chronic hepatitis B vary depending on how badly the liver is damaged. Many people with chronic hepatitis B, particularly children, have no symptoms. People who have symptoms usually feel generally ill and tired and lose their appetite. Some people have a low-grade fever and vague discomfort in the upper abdomen. Often, the first specific symptoms occur when the liver disease has progressed and there is evidence of cirrhosis. Symptoms can include An enlarged spleen Small spiderlike blood vessels visible in the skin (called spider angiomas) Redness of the palms Accumulation of fluid within the abdomen ( Ascites ) A tendency to bleed (coagulopathy) Bleeding in the digestive tract due to Esophageal Varices None Jaundice in Adults (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) Deterioration of brain function due to malfunction of the liver ( Hepatic Encephalopathy ) Brain function deteriorates because toxic substances build up in the blood and reach the brain. The liver normally removes them from the blood, breaks them down, then excretes them as harmless by-products into the bile or blood. The badly damaged liver is less able to remove them. People have a tendency to bleed because the damaged liver can no longer synthesize enough of the proteins that help blood clot. 