Hepatitis Testing Clinic Q&A

Inflammation of your liver is referred to as hepatitis. Hepatitis is typically caused by a viral infection, but there are other causes, too. Among them are autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis caused by medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol. When your body produces antibodies against your liver tissue, it causes autoimmune hepatitis.

Viral hepatitis is classified into five types: A, B, C, D, and E. Each type of viral hepatitis is caused by a different virus. Globally, 354 million people live with chronic hepatitis B and C, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

You will be examined by your doctor for signs of liver damage, such as yellowing skin or belly pain. Hepatitis B and its complications can be diagnosed through several tests.

A blood test can detect signs of hepatitis B in your body and tell your doctor if it is acute or chronic. It is also possible to determine if you are immune to the disease with a simple blood test. It may be necessary to perform a liver ultrasound. Damage to the liver can be measured using a special ultrasound called transient elastography.

It is possible a liver biopsy will be performed. To check for liver damage, your doctor may remove a small sample of your liver for testing (liver biopsy). A thin needle is inserted through your skin into your liver and a sample of tissue is removed for laboratory analysis.

An evaluation of liver function and signs of viral infection can be done through blood tests. To test your blood, your doctor draws a small amount from an arm vein and sends it to a laboratory.

Using a blood test, you can determine the type, severity, and state of an infection, whether it is active or dormant, and whether it is contagious. Additionally, a blood test can determine whether a virus is chronic or acute.

During the diagnostic process, doctors may recommend different blood tests. Many blood tests examine antibodies, which are substances produced by the body as a response to viruses or bacteria. In the event that hepatitis antibodies are detected in the bloodstream, the same blood sample is tested again to determine if the virus is still present and if so, how much. Depending on how badly the virus has affected your liver, your doctor may also recommend a blood test. Your doctor can explain how blood test results affect your health and whether they signal the need for further testing or treatment after you receive them in one or two days.

There are various options for which blood tests will be conducted. Hepatitis panels are blood tests that check whether you have or have had a viral hepatitis infection in the past. As a result of a vaccination, you may also be immune to certain types of hepatitis. And an HCV antibody test is conducted to check for exposure to hepatitis C.

Chronic, or lifelong, hepatitis infections are common among people who get infected with it. In the absence of treatment, chronic hepatitis can cause serious health problems, such as liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death. Testing is the only way to determine if you have hepatitis since people can live without symptoms. In order to receive life-saving treatment for hepatitis, it is important to get tested to find out if you are infected. The CDC recommends all adults receive a screening for hepatitis at least once.

Hepatitis testing and treatment are available for patients in Downtown Long Beach at Reddy Urgent Care clinics, so contact us today and let us help keep your health in check at all times. We serve patients from Downtown Long Beach CA, Bixby Knolls Long Beach CA, East Side CA, Paramount CA, and Los Altos CA.