Hepatitis Test – Hepatitis A, B, C Test

Hepatitis Test

Hepatitis Test is the only option to know which Hepatitis disease do you have. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B & Hepatitis C are 3 most common types of Hepatitis disease. Hepatitis Test is used to find out the Hepatitis disease that you may have.

Hepatitis refers to a type of bacterial infection that attacks the liver part of the body. This disease is caused by the intake of contaminated food. In this disease, the livers of the infected person get inflated and it finally results in sickness. This disease needs to be treated at the right time or it may cause liver cancer and cirrhosis may occur. The disease has the power to be transmitted from one person to another. This takes place in the case of sexual intercourse in which there is the transmission of body fluids without any protection. The disease has various mild as well as some severe symptoms and needs to be treated in time. The disease can be cured easily by following the medical procedures related to it.

Hepatitis A Test:

IgM anti-HAV antibodies or acute hepatitis panel testing method has come up as one of the latest method for testing and detection of the virus that causes Hepatitis A. In this test, the blood of the infected person acts as the medium of testing. And this test is carried on in the early stages of the infection and it is used to diagnose the disease properly from its acute conditions.

The IgG anti-HAV antibodies are dedicated to providing a whole and secure support to the victims suffering from the infection of Hepatitis A. These antibodies will serve the infected person for his whole life and the potential donors are screened properly from future attacks of these types of diseases.

Both the above tests come under the category of HAV tests and are used to find the present infections or dwelling past infections. The other tests that are available for the detection of the infection are liver panel test, ALT, and ACT.

Results of Hepatitis A Tests:

The test has four different outcomes that are given below.

First, Positive result in the IgM alone and IgG is not conducted shows that the patient is suffering from acute or recent infection.

Second, Negative result in IgM, while with a Positive result in the IgG represent that the patient has a past exposure to these diseases.

Third, Only IgG alone has been conducted and a Positive result is gained than the disease is present but it’s not an acute infection.

Fourth, In case of the Negative IgG result the patient has no exposure to these type of diseases in the past.

Preparation for the Hepatitis A Test:

There are no separate preparations required for the tests of hepatitis A. The tests are based on blood samples that will be collected as normal blood tests from the suspected person’s body and then the blood samples will be analyzed according to the tests.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

The symptoms of this disease will show up in 2 to 6 weeks of time in the infected person’s body. These symptoms are as below –

  • Feeling tired all the time
  • Stomach upset
  • Muscle soreness
  • Frequently high and mild fever
  • Appetite loss
  • Diarrhea

Hepatitis B Test

Hepatitis B refers to a type of hepatitis in which the liver parts are attacked severely. This disease is dangerous and may cause both acute disease and also chronic infections. The main cause of this disease is through the Hepatitis B virus and can transmit from the blood of the infected person to another. The disease generally has a short term effect and is cured on its own. However, if a person is suffering from it for a long term, he is likely to get the chronic Hepatitis B disease. The disease can be easily transferred from one person to another without the indication of any symptoms. The virus of the infection can also be transferred from the semen, the vaginal fluids and even urine of the infected person. The article further enlists the various symptoms and the tests available for the disease.

Symptoms of Hepatitis B:

Generally the disease doesn’t show up any symptoms in the infected person’s body, which result in ignorance of the disease and leading to some long term problems that eventually become incurable. But some of the infected person’s have reported some common symptoms of the disease. Some of the reported symptoms of the disease are as such:

  • Extreme tiredness is felt all the time
  • Continuous pain is felt in the lower abdomen
  • Loss of appetite is the common symptom for all kinds of hepatitis
  • Mild fever
  • Vomit and stomach upset
  • Pain in the joints
  • Headache

These are basic symptoms and are followed by more severe symptoms that are – high abdominal pain, dark yellow urine, and even jaundice may occur.

Tests available for the detection of Hepatitis B

Some tests need to be conducted as soon as possible for the detection of the problem at the right time. Some of these tests are –

HBV viral load test- It is one of the most appropriate tests that is commonly conducted to detect the presence of HBV virus in the human body.

HBV Genotype– It is another common test employed by the doctors for the detection of HBV virus.

The other tests include the Ultrasound and liver biopsy. The various steps that are available for the testing of this infection are enlisted below-

  • Hepatitis B surface antigen is employed to detect the proteins present in the surface of the virus.
  • Hepatitis B surface antibody detects the antibodies produced in response to the previous step.
  • Anti-hepatitis B helps in finding the IgM and IgG antibodies.
  • The above tests relate to initial detection tests and after this some confirmatory tests need to be conducted for confirmation of the previous tests.
  • Viral DNA tests help in the detection of the viral genetics material that is present in the blood.

Finally, the resistance mutation tests are targeted towards the detection of the mutations of the particular virus that causes the HBV virus.

Preparation prior to the test:

The test implies the collection of the blood sample, which will be taken from the suspect’s hand and if the result shows HBV surface antigen, then the person is infected from the Hepatitis B infection. While, HBV type e antigen also gives a confirmation that the person is infected from the Hepatitis B disease.

Hepatitis C Test

Hepatitis C is another one of the most common liver infections that is found to have reported in many men and women. The disease can be cured by undergoing either of the various medical treatments. The disease can result in both acute and chronic disease depending upon the time span of infection. The main mode of transfer of this disease is through blood and the blood of the infected person should be kept secure and untouched. According to the reports many people have claimed to have been affected with the chronic disease during a survey. The chronic disease generally results in the case of liver failure. The disease being common can be cured using many of medical vaccinations.

Tests for Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C antibody test – This is one of the most common tests that is used to detect the presence of Hepatitis C infection. This test has two possible outcomes, Positive, and Negative. Positive indicates the presence of the virus and the person is infected while for Negative there is no infection and the suspect is absolutely healthy.

RNA qualitative test – This test is used for confirming the present status of the infection, whether the suspect holds the infection presently or not. This test is also called the PCR test based on the method of conduction of the test.

RNA quantitative test – This type of test is used to measure the amount of hepatitis virus that is present in the blood. By employing this type of test, the doctors can analyze the reaction of the treatment as the exact number of the virus in the blood is known.

Viral genotyping – This is another type of test that is dedicated towards finding the type of Hepatitis C that is present inside the body. Out of the 6 types of Hepatitis C that exists, the actual particular type that is present in the body needs to be known so as to choose the right medical treatment for its cure.

Right time for Hepatitis C Tests

The particular case and time for the Hepatitis C tests should be known. In the case if a person is addicted to any of the drugs, he should be considered for the test as soon as possible. Any person who has done blood transfusion before 1992, must undergo these tests immediately. Children having an infected parent must be tested for the Hepatitis C disease. In case of any confusion whether the needles used in a medical treatment are new or not, the test becomes mandatory. While, in the case of any liver disease or suffering from HIV the tests are a must.

Symptoms of Hepatitis C:

The disease has an incubation period of 2 weeks and 6 months. The disease doesn’t show up any symptoms in many cases but may show up as small mild fever and decreased appetite in some cases. For those who are suffering from the chronic infection, the symptoms are severe abdominal pain and related issues.