Contents:
- Medical Video: Past and Future Therapy for Hepatitis C
- The most common hepatitis C complications
- 1. Cirrhosis
- 2. Heart failure
- 3. Liver cancer
- What can be done to prevent the risk of hepatitis C complications
Medical Video: Past and Future Therapy for Hepatitis C
The liver is one of the largest organs in the body. Besides functioning to help the body digest food, store vitamins and nutrients, produce and store sugar for energy use, the liver is also tasked with rinsing harmful toxins from the body. Hepatitis C is an infectious disease that causes damage to liver function. If you have hepatitis C, you should be aware of possible complications in order to prevent the risk of a worse disease. What are the possible complications of hepatitis C?
The most common hepatitis C complications
1. Cirrhosis
The first and most common hepatitis C complication is damage to the liver itself. Liver damage is also called cirrhosis. Many people assume that alcohol is the main cause of cirrhosis, but anything that damages the liver for years can cause formation of scar tissue including infection and inflammation due to hepatitis. The development of liver damage until it becomes cirrhosis can take a long time, even around 20 to 30 years. But if left untreated, cirrhosis can lead to liver failure which is fatal.
In the first years, cirrhosis often causes no symptoms. However, over time, you can experience the following:
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Severe itching
- Skin discoloration and the whites of the eyes turn yellow (jaundice)
2. Heart failure
Liver failure occurs when the liver is no longer working properly. Liver damage that runs for years, or even decades, is called chronic liver failure or end-stage liver disease. When experiencing severe damage, the liver is no longer able to function. You can experience discoloration of the skin and eyes to yellow (jaundice) and fluid buildup in the legs or abdomen. If you do not undergo treatment, complications of chronic hepatitis C can become very serious and cause other diseases that are worse or even result in damage to other organs. You can experience bleeding from the stomach or esophagus, or even brain damage.At this point, you might need a liver transplant.
3. Liver cancer
Complications of hepatitis C increase the risk of liver cancer. People with hepatitis C are at risk of developing liver cancer if the damage has reached the level of cirrhosis. Liver damage due to hepatitis causes dangerous cells in the liver to reproduce faster than they should, causing tumors and other problems. Therefore, it is very important for you to do a medical examination regularly. The most dangerous thing is that people with cirrhosis can feel fine and not experience symptoms in the early stages. Doctors can recommend liver ultrasound tests every six to twelve months. This test will show if a tumor is formed. The sooner liver cancer is found, the easier it will be for doctors to find the right treatment for you.
What can be done to prevent the risk of hepatitis C complications
Equip yourself with the latest information and knowledge about your illness. Maintaining a healthy body is also an important key to managing symptoms of hepatitis.
Tell your doctor if you experience any of the hepatitis complications above. The most important thing is that you have to keep a positive mind and live a healthy lifestyle with the right nutrition and exercise diet program. Ask for support from family and close relatives to help you prevent the risk of hepatitis complications.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
