Contents:
- Medical Video: What is Hepatitis C and Why Should You Care?
- What causes hepatitis C?
- Who is at high risk for hepatitis C infection?
- What are the signs and symptoms of hepatitis C?
- What are the possible complications of hepatitis C?
- How do doctors diagnose hepatitis C?
- What hepatitis C treatments are available?
- Antiviral drugs
- Liver transplant
- Vaccination
- Lifestyle changes
- Can hepatitis C transmission be prevented?
Medical Video: What is Hepatitis C and Why Should You Care?
Hepatitis C is the most dangerous type of hepatitis virus, because iThis infection usually causes no symptoms until the final stages of chronic infection. Most people do not realize that they are infected with hepatitis until they finally suffer permanent liver damage a few years later, during routine medical tests.
The following information you need to know about hepatitis C.
What causes hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is transmitted from one person to another through exposure to virus-contaminated blood.
Who is at high risk for hepatitis C infection?
Everyone can get hepatitis. But there are several factors that can increase your risk of getting hepatitis C, namely:
- Have fresh / open sores exposed to infected blood. Accidentally punctured used needles can also increase your risk
- Using injecting drugs
- People with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA)
- Is a sex partner of a person diagnosed with hepatitis C infection
- Make tattoos or body piercings with non-sterile equipment
- Receiving blood transfusions or organ transplants before 1992
- Long-term dialysis routine
- Born to a mother with hepatitis C infection
- Never been imprisoned
- Born between 1945 and 1965, the age group with the highest incidence of hepatitis C infection
What are the signs and symptoms of hepatitis C?
Most people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) do not experience symptoms. At the initial stage, symptoms may appear mild about one to three months after exposure to the virus. Common symptoms of hepatitis C include:
- Yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Dark urine like tea
- Pale stools like putty
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Nauseous vomit
- Bad appetite
- Gastric pain
- muscle or joint pain
The signs and symptoms of chronic infections will usually be apparent after years and are a result of liver damage caused by a virus. This can initially include symptoms of acute infection that develops to worsen over time. Signs and symptoms of chronic HCV can include:
- Easy to bleed
- Easy bruising
- Itchy skin
- Fluid accumulation in the stomach
- Swelling in the legs
- Weight loss
- Daze, drowsiness and speech are unclear (hepatic encephalopathy)
- Spider's blood vessels on the skin (spider angioma)
Immediately visit a doctor if you experience the above signs and symptoms.
What are the possible complications of hepatitis C?
There are some serious complications caused by chronic HCV infection, such as:
- Liver tissue damage (cirrhosis). After 20 to 30 years suffering from hepatitis C infection, cirrhosis can occur. Cirrhosis is damage to permanent liver tissue.
- Heart cancer. Hepatitis C sufferers are more at risk of developing liver cancer.
- Heart failure. A liver that has severe damage due to HCV infection can fail to function properly
How do doctors diagnose hepatitis C?
Doctors usually advise you to take blood tests to detect the presence of hepatitis viruses in the body, and whether the disease is acute or chronic. Your doctor may also want to take liver tissue samples to be examined (biopsy) to determine if you have liver damage.
Blood tests can help doctors start treatment or advocate lifestyle changes that can slow down the process of liver damage. This is recommended because HCV infection often begins to damage the liver before causing signs and symptoms.
A blood test to diagnose hepatitis C can help:
- Detect the presence of hepatitis in the body
- Measuring how many hepatitis viruses are present in the blood (viral load)
- Evaluating the genetic appearance of the virus (genotyping) which helps determine treatment options
What hepatitis C treatments are available?
Antiviral drugs
Some antiviral drugs can help fight viruses and slow down their ability to damage the liver. The goal of treatment is to destroy the virus in the body at least 12 weeks after treatment. In fact, patients must be treated for 24 to 72 weeks with antiviral drugs.
Antivirus for HCV has serious side effects even though it has been available for decades and has been developed over time. Some common side effects include depression, flu-like symptoms, and a decrease in the number of healthy red or white blood cells (anemia or neutropenia). That is the reason why many people stop treatment.
Today, with new antiviral drugs, patients get better results, fewer side effects, and shorter treatment times — some up to as short as 12 weeks.
You will be monitored regularly to check liver function during treatment.
Liver transplant
If there is serious damage to liver function, you can choose a liver transplant as a treatment option. The doctor will remove the damaged part of the liver and replace it with a healthy liver. Most liver transplants come from deceased donors, although some come from living donors who donate a portion of their hearts.
For people with HCV infection, liver transplantation is not a cure. Treatment with antiviral drugs usually progresses after a liver transplant, because HCV infection can have a chance of relapse in a new liver.
Vaccination
Until now there is no HCV vaccine available, so the doctor may recommend that you receive hepatitis A and B vaccinations. Several other different viruses can also damage some liver functions and make hepatitis C treatment more complicated.
Lifestyle changes
You can control hepatitis C by changing your lifestyle, including:
- Stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol worsens damage to liver function.
- Avoid drugs that can cause liver damage. For example, paracetamol (acetaminophen), statins.
- Prevent others from contacting your blood. Cover any wounds you have and do not share shavers or toothbrushes. Don't donate blood, organs or sperm. Tell your doctor that you are infected with this virus.
Can hepatitis C transmission be prevented?
Protect yourself from transmission of hepatitis C infection by:
- Stop using drugs
- Be careful when you want to pierce the body and make tattoos. Look for stores that are guaranteed to be clean and also the technique. Pay attention to the cleanliness of the store environment and how sterile the equipment is.
- Always have sex safely. Do not have unprotected sex by changing partners or with someone whose health status is uncertain. Sexual transmission between husband and wife can occur, but the risk is low.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
