Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Test in Gorakhpur - Price & Details

PharmEasy Labs has outlets in all cities and towns of India and thereby offers diagnostic services like home sample collection, email containing the reports, top-grade technology analysing the samples, pathologists reviewing the report, etc. You get huge discounts, too, on all tests, including the HBsAg test.

HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigens) is a protein found on the surface of the hepatitis B virus. The protein is produced by the virus to infect the healthy cells of the body. A person with acute or chronic hepatitis B infection may have high levels of HBsAg in their blood. HBsAg test can detect both acute and chronic hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis B is a serious viral infection that affects the liver.

Hepatitis B can spread through contact with an infected person's body fluids such as blood, saliva, vaginal fluid, and semen. Hepatitis B virus can pass from one person to another healthy person through sexual contact, sharing needles, syringes or other drug injection equipment. This infection can also be passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or delivery.

Acute hepatitis B  is a short-term infection that lasts less than 6 months. Unless it is serious, acute hepatitis B usually does not require treatment. Sometimes, acute hepatitis B can lead to liver damage.

Hepatitis B viruses can also cause a chronic infection, which may last more than 6 months. With chronic hepatitis B infection, there is a high risk for developing liver diseases. The inflammation associated with a chronic hepatitis B infection can lead to liver cirrhosis. It is a condition that permanently scars the liver, impairing the liver's ability to function. Blood cannot flow freely through scarred liver tissue. This causes the liver to shrink and become hard. When cirrhosis becomes very severe, liver failure occurs. Chronic hepatitis B infection can cause liver cancer. Cirrhosis in the liver from a long-term hepatitis B infection can increase the risk of developing cancerous tumours.

Many people may live with a hepatitis B infection for many years without experiencing any symptoms or feeling sick. Among those who do have symptoms, the illness is mild, and they fail to recognize that they are infected, but liver damage takes place during the period of time.

It takes 60 to 150 days after exposure to the hepatitis B virus for the symptoms to appear and 1 to 9 weeks for the virus to become detectable.

The HBsAg test is used to diagnose hepatitis B infection early before the symptoms appear, which include:

• Yellow skin and eyes
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Abdominal pain and joint pain
• Dark urine
• Clay coloured stool
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting

If your test result is positive, your doctor will order other tests to confirm the diagnosis and determine the viral load in your blood.

An HBsAg test is performed to determine if a person-

• Has already been infected with hepatitis B and has acquired immunity against the virus
• Is a carrier of the hepatitis B virus
• Has HIV and hence is at risk of getting hepatitis B
• Who is infected with and undergoing treatment for hepatitis B is responding to the medication
• If one has recently received a blood transfusion or has shared a needle with someone else, even if it is not known if the person has a hepatitis infection

The HBsAg test requires no special preparation, you do not need to fast. However, you must tell your doctor what medications you are taking, both prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

During the HBsAg Test

To collect your blood sample, a phlebotomist from PharmEasy Labs will come to your house and bring a vein finder, new needles and syringes. The vein finder will help to identify the right vein for inserting the fresh needle into. The extracted blood will be taken to the labs.