Treatment

There are two types of treatment for hepatitis B, one is a long term treatment which attempts to control the virus, the other is a shorter treatment (48 weeks) which attempts to get rid of the virus altogether.

The long term treatment uses anti-virals which are pills that stop the hepatitis B virus from replicating or making as many copies of itself. This means that the number of viruses in the blood (viral load) is decreased and there should be less damage to the liver. Some of the anti-virals will stop working after a while and will have to be replaced by different anti-virals. This is what is called resistance, which means that the virus has built up a tolerance to the drug and begins to reproduce more easily.

Interferon works by boosting the body's immune system to fight the hepatitis B virus. It is given as an injection three times a week. The purpose of Interferon is to stop replication and get rid of the virus or reduce its activity in the long term, thereby curing the patient or at least reducing the damage done to the patients liver.