What are the signs and symptoms of hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B often doesn’t show symptoms, and it usually goes away on its own. Most people don’t even know they have it. When there are hepatitis B symptoms, it can feel like the flu.
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Hepatitis B often has no symptoms.
About half of adults with hepatitis B never get any symptoms. The symptoms can also feel like other illnesses, like the flu. So it’s possible to have the infection and not know it.
Symptoms of hepatitis B
When people do show signs of hepatitis B, the first ones usually show up between 6 weeks and 6 months after they got the virus. Hepatitis B symptoms typically last for a few weeks, but can sometimes stick around for months.
These are the signs and symptoms of hepatitis B:
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feeling really tired
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pain in your belly
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losing your appetite
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nausea and vomiting
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pain in your joints
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headache
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fever
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hives
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dark-colored urine (pee)
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pale, clay-colored bowel movements (poop)
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jaundice — when your eyes and skin get yellow
If you have any symptoms of hepatitis B, it’s important to check with a doctor or nurse for testing. Hepatitis B usually will go away by itself, but it may become chronic and seriously damage your liver.