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• Love Your Liver This Valentine's Day

  For most people, Valentine’s Day is a day full of love, but for those living with hepatitis B, it can be filled with dread and anticipation. Perhaps you haven’t told your significant other that you have been diagnosed with hepatitis B, or maybe you are spending this year alone because you are scared to begin a relationship. This year, instead of focusing on others, take Valentine’s Day to love yourself - and your liver!  Taking Care of Your Liver  Find a Knowledgeable Provider (and be sure to see them regularly!):  Most people who are diagnosed with hepatitis B lead long, healthy lives. The key is proper care and monitoring by a trained healthcare provider. If you do not yet have a healthcare provider who is regularly monitoring your diagnosis, you can search our physician directory to find one near you. You can also search the World Hepatitis Alliance’s member list to find local resources and organizations who can help you identify a provider in your area.   It is always a good idea to conduct your own research as well! Look into what your provider specializes in, as some may be more knowledgeable about the infection than others. Ideally, it would be best to regularly see a hepatologist - someone who specializes directly in diseases of the liver. However, due to finances and other constraints, this may not be an option for everyone. Seeing any doctor is extremely important, but if you only have access to a provider who is not as experienced in hepatitis B, make sure that they are performing the correct tests to monitor the health of your liver. At each follow-up appointment, your doctor should: check your liver enzymes (ALT, AST), perform a physical exam of the liver, and any other blood tests they might feel is needed to determine the stage of the infection and the health of the liver. Sometimes, the doctor will also perform an ultrasound of the liver to get a better picture of what is going on. You can find some questions that are important to ask

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/love-liver-valentines-day/
• Liver Health & The Holidays: How to Stay Healthy with Hep B

  The holiday season is here once again! It’s often a time filled with love and happiness, but for those living with chronic illnesses like hepatitis B, this time of year can be uncomfortable and stressful. The most important thing to remember is that your health - physical and mental - should come first.  Alcohol is usually present at holiday gatherings and can be difficult to avoid. However, it is also extremely damaging to the liver - especially if you are living with a liver disease like hepatitis B. It may be tempting, but avoiding all alcohol, including small amounts, is best for the health of your liver. Focus on the conversation and catching up with your coworkers or friends instead of the drinks!  If you feel pressured, you can carry around a cup of another beverage, such as sparkling water or juice, to bypass any questions about why you are choosing not to drink.  The holidays are also filled with sugary treats and foods that are high in unhealthy fats. Too many sugary, processed, and fatty foods (and drinks) are harmful and can contribute to liver diseases such as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver. When combined with hepatitis B, liver diseases can make your risk of liver damage and liver cancer even greater, so it is extremely important to maintain a balance of healthy foods and exercise. A few treats here and there will not harm you, but moderation is key! Try eating smaller portions of dessert and keep holiday sweets out of your house to avoid temptation. If you were gifted a delicious, but unhealthy snack, share it with friends and family!   If you are preparing a meal or a dish for your celebrations, make it a healthy one! The American Liver Foundation has a great fact sheet on how to read the nutrition label on food packing. This will help you make better choices while you are food shopping. Try using healthier alternatives to ingredients, such as butter, that may be high in cholesterol or fats, and experiment with using more spices instead of salt to

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/liver-health-holidays-stay-healthy-hep-b/
• Exposed to Hep B? What Steps You Should Take To Prevent Infection

  … hepatitis B vaccine are given as soon as possible within a 24 hour window. Complete full vaccine series as recommended after PEP.  Source of exposure is HBsAg positive and individual is partially vaccinated (less than 3 doses or less than 2 doses of Heplisav-B) - receive HBIG. Complete vaccine series as recommended.  Source of exposure is HBsAg positive and individual has proof of a completed vaccinate series - one dose of hepatitis B vaccine booster is given. If the source has an unknown hepatitis B status, the recommendations are as follows: Source has unknown HBsAg and individual is unvaccinated - receive first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine as soon as possible within a 24 hour window. Source has unknown HBsAg and individual is not fully vaccinated - complete vaccine series. Source has unknown HBsAg and individual has proof of completed vaccination - no treatment is needed. The most important part of PEP is the time between the exposure and treatment. PEP is most effective at preventing hepatitis B if it is given as soon as possible after the exposure. This means that the treatment should be given within 24 hours of exposure.  Pregnancy and PEP PEP is safe and recommended for both pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who have been exposed to hepatitis B; the vaccine will not harm the baby. For pregnant women who are HBsAg positive, PEP must be administered to the newborn to prevent the baby from developing chronic hepatitis B! In this case, the doctor delivering the newborn should be aware of the mother’s hepatitis B infection so that they can have HBIG and the vaccine on hand during the birth. After the baby is born, one dose of HBIG and the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine should be given to the newborn within 12 hours of delivery. It’s important to note that HBIG may not be available in all countries. In this case, it is even more important to make sure that babies receive the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. The

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/exposed-hep-b-steps-take-prevent-infection/
• Why Your Family Health History Matters with Acute and Chronic Hep B

  National Family Health History Day is November 28th, and it is the perfect time to sit down and talk to your family about health; it gives your loved ones an opportunity to provide the gift of a healthy future! As hepatitis B rarely has any symptoms, many people do not discover that they are infected until a family member is diagnosed or they develop liver damage or liver cancer.  Approaching the topic and starting the conversation can help to break this cycle of transmission within families, and allow your loved ones to protect themselves. If you need some tips on how to start the discussion on family health, you can check out our blog post here! Your family’s health history tells a powerful story. It guides us on what behaviors to avoid and actions that we can take to prevent developing certain illnesses or diseases. It can also help inform us on how to best navigate the health system. Do I need to be tested for liver cancer? Is the medication that I’m taking actually dangerous to my health?  When a family member is living with or has lived with hepatitis B, family health history can become even more critical to creating a healthy future. Hepatitis B is one of the world’s leading causes of liver cancer, so it is extremely important to be aware of your risk! Although hepatitis B is not genetic or hereditary - it is only spread through direct contact with infected blood or through sexual contact -  multiple family members can be infected without knowing. This is because hepatitis B often does not have any symptoms and can be spread from mother to child during childbirth or by sharing sharp objects such as razors, toothbrushes, or body jewelry that may contain small amounts of infected blood. Knowing about a family members’ current or past infection is a signal to get tested for hepatitis B using the 3-panel hepatitis B blood test (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb). Testing is the only way to be sure of your hepatitis B status. The test will let you know if you have a

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/family-health-history-matters-acute-chronic-hep-b/
• The Alarming Link Between Hep B and the Opioid Epidemic

  … lifestyle choices such as drinking, smoking and illicit drug use; and, as a doctor, I’ve found that patients answer these questions honestly most of the time. (For that matter, even if a patient lies about their intravenous drug use, the signs are hard to hide in a medical exam.) In this context, your loved one will be strongly encouraged to get the hepatitis B vaccine series and counseling for other blood-borne infectious diseases which they are at risk for. If your loved one has given up on treatment or refuses to consider it, invite them to consider local harm reduction options. These options and their availability can depend on where you live. Many states now have needle exchange programs. There are approximately 185 such programs operating nationwide, according to a fact sheet from the ACLU. Other harm reduction initiatives include safe injection education and greater public access to the overdose prevention drug naloxone. Hepatitis B may be the slower, more insidious killer in an opioid epidemic that’s better known by the overdose figures— but it’s a dangerous killer nonetheless. The good news is that with greater public awareness about the problem of prescription painkillers, intravenous drug use and their link to Hep B, we can put an end to that killing spree. Make sure that yourself and your loved ones are protected from hepatitis B by speaking with them or a doctor about the 2-3 doses vaccine! Dr. Ahmed Howeedy is Chief Medical Officer at FHE Health, a nationally recognized behavioral health provider. Learn more about FHE Health’s addiction treatment programs.

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/alarming-link-hep-b-opioid-epidemic/
• Peter Block, MD, MSc

    Clinical Fellow Yale School of Medicine  Dr. Block is a clinical fellow in gastroenterology and hepatology at the Yale School of Medicine. He completed his medical training and graduate education at Thomas Jefferson University and Oxford University, respectively. His clinical and research interests center on health outcomes in patients with viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.  Read the journal picks of the month from our Emerging Scholars Scientific and Medical Advisory Board here.  

  https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/reports/emerging-scholars-scientific-and-medical-advisors/peter-block-md-msc/
• Roadmap for a Cure

  We believe that the elimination of hepatitis B from the human population is possible with the right combination of prevention, education, and focus on treatment. To achieve this ambitious goal, we solicited input from more than 30 of the world's leading experts to develop a detailed research agenda that we believe will lead us to a cure.  We have condensed our research agenda, with information on priority research areas and potential funding, into an overview Roadmap for a Cure.  For a hard copy of the Roadmap, or for the full-length versions of the manuscripts the Roadmap is based on, please email info@hepb.org or call 215-489-4900.   Additional Resources Hepatitis B Cure Campaign 2018 Progress Report List of 2018 Hep B United partners in our advocacy efforts

  https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/advocacy/roadmap-to-a-cure/
• John's Story

  When he was 16, John learned during a routine medical checkup that he has hepatitis B. After his mother reacted with tears and concern, he decided that he needed to demonstrate to himself and others that people living with the virus can live full, adventurous lives. John decided to organize a charity bike ride to raise money for hepatitis B research. The support he received from people following his journey from Florida to Pennsylvania gave him the strength necessary to endure an often-exhausting cycling experience.    

  https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/patient-story-telling-project/johns-story/
• Espi's Story

  Espi found out that she has hepatitis B when she was 64. For some time, she was monitored every six months, but eventually a doctor told her she could die if she didn’t begin treatment. Instead of automatically taking his advice, she researched her options. She also kept active, ate well, and tried not to worry. Finding a support group helped her to decide on her own terms to take medication, when she had all the information she needed. Espi's story is available in English and Tagalog.   English   Tagalog

  https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/patient-story-telling-project/espis-story/
• Binh's Story

  When Binh found out he has hepatitis B, his youth and good health led him to put off any follow-up. Several years later, Binh learned his viral load was very high and fortunately started treatment “not a moment too soon.” Binh’s experience highlights the need for more advocacy around hepatitis B testing and treatment and more education about the silent nature of the disease.  

  https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/patient-story-telling-project/binhs-story/