Ask a doctor - What's the difference between hepatitis B and hepatitis C?

Q. What's the difference between hepatitis B and hepatitis C?

Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.

Answered by Secondmedic Expert

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are two different types of viral infections that affect the liver. Both viruses can cause serious cases of liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer in some people.

The most significant difference between hepatitis B and hepatitis C lies in their transmission route. Hepatitis B virus is primarily spread through contact with infected blood or body fluids like semen. The infection can also be transmitted from mother to baby during childbirth or passed through close family contact with an infected individual. On the other hand, hepatitis C virus is mainly spread through contact with contaminated needles such as those used for intravenous drug use or tattooing. Sexual contact can sometimes also transmit it although this method of transmission is much less common than that of hepatitis B.

In terms of symptoms, they both share a similar range including fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, fever, dark-colored urine and jaundice (yellowish eyes). However, not everyone who has either type exhibits any signs at all - up to 80% of people chronically infected by HCV may not experience any obvious symptoms for many years until the damage done already to their organs is revealed later on in life when complications arise due to long-term damage caused by the virus.

In terms of treatment options available for each type; there are currently two types approved for treating chronic Hepatitis B infection: interferon therapy which stimulates your own immune system to fight against HBV OR antiviral medications such as Entecavir (Baraclude) and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (Viread). For Hepatitis C however more advanced therapies have been developed using direct acting antiviral agents like Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir (Harvoni), Daclatasvir/Sofosbuvir (Daklinza) which effectively target specific proteins within HCV while leaving normal cells unaffected leading to improved outcomes compared to interferon therapy alone making Cure rates higher than 90%.

Regardless though prevention should always be given priority over other options due its efficiency & cost savings achieved as treatment is often expensive requiring multiple visits over several months depending on severity & type Treatment strategies need tailored according needs unlike preventive techniques aiming at avoiding direct exposure altogether since Vaccines exist only for preventing infections from HBV , no cure currently exists yet for HCV .