Hepatitis C – Symptoms, Causes and Treatments!

Hepatitis C – Symptoms, Causes and Treatments. In addition, hepatitis C is a disease that causes inflammation  and infection of the liver . This condition develops after being infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C can be acute or chronic.

Symptoms of acute hepatitis C set in quickly and last for a few weeks, whereas chronic hepatitis C symptoms develop over a period of months and may not be apparent at first. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that more than 130 to 150 million people have chronic hepatitis C.

Unlike hepatitis A and B , there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, although efforts to create one continue. Hepatitis C is highly contagious, which explains the high number of people with the disease. The disease is found all over the world. Egypt has the highest percentage of chronic hepatitis C  cases. So check out  Hepatitis C – Symptoms, Causes and Treatments.

Symptoms of Hepatitis C:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 80% of people with hepatitis C have no symptoms. While this is true, some people complain of mild to severe symptoms, such as:

Symptoms may not appear immediately and may take six to seven weeks to appear.

Diagnosing Hepatitis C:  Based on symptoms alone, your doctor may not have enough evidence to diagnose hepatitis C. It is important to let your doctor know if you have been exposed to hepatitis C.

If your doctor suspects you have hepatitis C , they may order a series of blood tests to check for signs of HCV. Blood tests can also measure the amount of HCV in your blood. If you are infected, a genotyping test can be used to see which treatment will work best for you.

If your doctor thinks you have liver damage , then he will prescribe a liver function test to check your urine and blood for signs of increased liver enzymes . Another test to check for liver damage  is a liver biopsy. Your doctor will take a small piece of tissue from your liver  and test it for cellular abnormalities.

How Hepatitis C Is Transmitted:  Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood  contaminated with HCV. It can be disseminated through:

  • organ transplants
  • blood transfusions
  • Sharing personal items such as shavers or toothbrushes
  • touching  contaminated blood
  • Sharing drug needles
  • Giving birth (from mother to baby)

Some forms of hepatitis are spread sexually, but hepatitis C is less likely to spread through sexual means than through other means. People who have a high risk of developing hepatitis C include those who have:

  • Had a blood transfusion before  1992
  • Received an organ transplant
  • Received clotting factor concentrates or other blood products before 1987
  • Received hemodialysis treatment for a long period
  • Born to a mother with hepatitis
  • Have a sexual partner infected with hepatitis
  • Used drug needles contaminated with   infected blood
  • Used needles contaminated with infected blood  for tattoos or piercing
  • Illegal drugs injected

Treatment for Hepatitis C:  Not everyone infected with hepatitis C will need treatment because some people’s immune systems can overcome the infection on their own. There are several options for treating hepatitis C. Treatment is usually reserved for people with severe liver damage and scarring, and no other condition that prevents treatment.

Previous hepatitis C treatment regimens required weekly injections for 48 weeks, which carried the risk of significant and sometimes fatal side effects. Newly developed antiviral drugs now have higher cure rates and fewer adverse side effects.

They also require a shorter treatment period. Your doctor can decide whether antiviral treatment is likely to provide more benefit than harm. Your doctor will likely recommend bed rest to help your body conserve energy to fight illness.

Your doctor can also create a nutrition plan to prevent you from experiencing malnutrition or dehydration . According to the Mayo Clinic, some people with hepatitis C do not need treatment because they only have minor liver abnormalities. If this is the case, your doctor will likely want to monitor your liver function with  regular blood tests.

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