So, a strange designation HBsAg appeared in the medical record. What does this mean? And the fact that the patient was infected with the hepatitis B virus (in acute or chronic form). This disease is formed due to the presence in the body of a DNA-containing virus, which is transmitted from one person to another mainly through the blood (during transfusion, drug addiction or sexual contact), but other methods of infection are possible. The virus may not manifest itself in any way for a month, or even six months. If the treatment of the disease is very difficult, then there is a possibility of developing cirrhosis of the liver.
HBsAg - what is it?
So, we sorted it out in general terms. And more precisely, HBsAg - what is it? This designation is "Australian" antigen. It is a lipoprotein and is part of the lipoprotein envelope of the hepatitis B virus. It was discovered by B. Blumberg in 1963. So if HBsAg is found in you (what is this, if not an alarm signal?) - immediately undergo an examination and in no case delay with it. HBsAg determines the ability of the virus to stay in the body for a long time, to thermal stability, etc.
Usually HBsAg is detected in the body during acute hepatitis and in the last two weeksincubation period (or in the first month - six months after the onset of the disease). After the detection of HBsAg in most patients during treatment, this antigen decreases within three months, until it disappears completely. If HBsAg is detected after six months of the course of the disease, then this indicates the transition of hepatitis B into a chronic form.
HBsAg (blood test) - what is it?
This analysis is the main method used to detect hepatitis B in the human body. The analysis allows you to find out the amount of antigen in the blood. When the body resists the disease, antibodies are also released - anti-HBs. The definition of these two components allows you to determine at what stage the development of the disease is.
A blood test for the detection of the HBsAg antigen allows you to detect hepatitis B at the earliest stages of its development. In addition to the very beginning of the development of the disease, in rare cases, HBsAg can settle in the human body for life.
Decoding the test result
If after donating blood it turned out that HBsAg is positive - what does this mean? In this case, it may turn out that you, unfortunately, fell ill with an acute or chronic form of hepatitis B. There is another option, but not more rosy - you are a carrier of asymptomatic hepatitis B. However, even with a negative test result, everything can be much more complicated. In one case, you may simply not be infected with hepatitis B. This is a pleasant turn of events. Oryou can simply go through a recovery period (if you have previously had an acute form of the disease). In rare cases, there can be a very unpleasant denouement: both hepatitis I and hepatitis D can “settle” in your body at the same time. Therefore, they often prescribe a second test to make sure the diagnosis is correct.
Be that as it may, at the slightest suspicion that you have HBsAg, see a doctor immediately. Vigilance never hurt anyone.
