This is an automatically translated article.
Hepatitis B is one of the serious diseases that many people have, the main cause of liver cancer. Therefore, the notes and questions such as whether the hepatitis B test needs to be fasted, or what the hepatitis B test should do are also of great interest to many people.
1. Does hepatitis B test require fasting?
1.1. Where fasting is not required
The two most common types of hepatitis B test today and at least need to be conducted are:
HBsAG test Liver overview test with the main function is to test and diagnose hepatitis B virus infection. In addition , this test can also check the health of the liver, find out the risk of cirrhosis or other problems. A positive result indicates that you have the hepatitis B virus, and vice versa.
Anti-HBs test A type of test to find out the activity of antibodies in the patient's body. If the result is positive, the body is already immune to the hepatitis B virus. In this case, the patient does not need to be vaccinated. Conversely, negative anti-HBs means that the body does not have antibodies to the hepatitis B virus. Therefore, vaccination is required to prevent hepatitis B.
Around the question "Does hepatitis B test require fasting?" Health experts said that patients can still eat and drink normally to ensure health, no need to worry about hepatitis B test results being affected.
Người bệnh xét nghiệm viêm gan B không cần nhịn ăn
The reason is because the hepatitis B virus is mainly contagious, spread through blood. Meanwhile, the nutritional components in food do not affect the ability of this scary virus to work. So when performing these two types of tests, you do not need to fast. On the contrary, it is possible to have a light snack before taking blood for testing to avoid a drop in blood pressure due to hunger.
1.2. In case you need to fast
In addition to the two common tests mentioned, the doctor may ask the patient to do a few more tests depending on the symptoms and current condition. Such as: Liver biopsy, liver enzyme level measurement, viral core antibody test (Anti-HBc), viral envelope antigen test (HBeAG), etc. For these types, you may need to keep an empty stomach or follow your healthcare provider's instructions to avoid affecting the results.
For example, when testing liver function to determine disease activity and liver damage, patients need to empty their stomach about 8-12 hours in advance. Greasy foods or drinks high in caffeine/alcohol will skew the results. You should also fast for at least 4 hours before the ultrasound, because food can interfere with the doctor's image of the liver.
1.3. Other case
For liver biopsy, if you eat enough, it will cause the gallbladder to contract, reducing the risk of wrongly poking the gallbladder. However, an empty stomach will reduce the risk of vomiting after the procedure. Therefore, biopsies to test for hepatitis B need to fast or not will depend on the doctor's orders.
Khi làm sinh thiết gan, người bệnh nên nhịn ăn hay không cần tham khảo ý kiến bác sĩ
2. What to do before being tested for hepatitis B?
Although fasting is not required prior to routine hepatitis B testing, patients should not eat too much or full. Instead, drink plenty of water to aid in the purification of the body and the elimination of harmful substances. In particular, do not use stimulants (such as alcohol) or foods that damage the liver within 2 days before the test for the most accurate results.
At the same time, patients should also note that they should be tested for hepatitis B in the morning. At this time, the liver has just rested after a long night, so it is considered the best time to get accurate results.
3. The cost of testing for hepatitis B
Vietnam is considered as one of the countries with the highest rate of viral infection and hepatitis B infection in the world. It is also the leading cause of the development of liver cancer cells in millions of patients.
Therefore, now all hospitals across the country have developed hepatitis B testing techniques. The cost that the patient needs to pay will vary depending on the type of test and the facility that performs it. In particular, the HBsAG test usually has the lowest cost, while the anti-HBc test has the highest cost, ranging from a few hundred thousand VND. Patients do not need to spend a lot of money to know if they are infected with hepatitis B virus or not.
However, if there is a need for more in-depth examination of the envelope and core of the virus, helping doctors come up with an effective treatment regimen, the cost will be higher, because these techniques are also not easy to perform. For those who want to check the overall liver function, the cost can be up to millions of dong. In return, doctors and patients will have a more comprehensive view of the current liver situation, helping to control the disease well and have an accurate treatment plan.
Xét nghiệm HBsAG có chi phí rẻ hơn so với xét nghiệm anti-HBc
4. Importance of Hepatitis B Testing
Hepatitis B is a common disease today with high contagiousness. Early detection is extremely important, helping to treat the disease promptly. However, very few people understand the importance of testing to detect hepatitis B virus.
According to doctors, testing for hepatitis B virus is extremely necessary and important for everyone, whether sick or not. not sick. The test results help to detect the disease in time, thereby providing effective treatment.
For patients, testing for hepatitis B helps to control the course of the disease, the degree of variation and the increase/decrease amount of the virus. As a result, doctors will decide on the most appropriate treatment regimen and control the disease.
In people who do not have hepatitis B, regular testing and examination will detect early when the new hepatitis B virus has entered the body. Thereby preventing the progression of hepatitis B to the severe stage.
People who do not know if they are infected with the hepatitis B virus, especially with certain risk factors, should get tested as soon as possible. If your hepatitis B test result is negative for the virus, you need to get the hepatitis B vaccine right away to protect yourself. Vaccinated people should also have an anti-HBs test every 2 to 3 years to check the amount of anti-viral antibodies in their body.
