Diagnosis

Your doctor will examine you and look for signs of liver damage, such as yellowing skin or belly pain. Tests that can help diagnose hepatitis B or its complications are:

• Blood tests. Blood tests can detect signs of the hepatitis B virus in your body and tell your doctor whether it's acute or chronic. A simple blood test can also determine if you're immune to the condition.
• Liver ultrasound. A special ultrasound called transient elastography can show the amount of liver damage.
• Liver biopsy. Your doctor might remove a small sample of your liver for testing (liver biopsy) to check for liver damage. During this test, your doctor inserts a thin needle through your skin and into your liver and removes a tissue sample for laboratory analysis.

Screening healthy people for hepatitis B

Doctors sometimes test certain healthy people for hepatitis B infection because the virus can damage the liver before causing signs and symptoms. Talk to your doctor about screening for hepatitis B infection if you:

• Are pregnant
• Live with someone who has hepatitis B
• Have had many sexual partners
• Have had sex with someone who has hepatitis B
• Are a man who has sex with men
• Have a history of a sexually transmitted illness
• Have HIV or hepatitis C
• Have a liver enzyme test with unexplained abnormal results
• Receive kidney dialysis
• Take medications that suppress the immune system, such as those used to prevent rejection after an organ transplant
• Use illegal injected drugs
• Are in prison
• Were born in a country where hepatitis B is common, including Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa and Eastern Europe
• Have parents or adopted children from places where hepatitis B is common, including Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa and Eastern Europe