Hepatitis C is a viral infection that attacks the liver, it can cause new acute or chronic disease in the liver. The Hepatitis C virus spreads in contact with the blood of an infected person. No vaccine is available for hepatitis C. Medicines are available for hepatitis C that can cure most cases.
Acute Hepatitis C
Acute or new hepatitis C is a short-term infection. Symptoms can last up to 6 months sometimes your body is able to fight infection and the virus goes away.
Chronic Hepatitis C
Chronic hepatitis C is a long-lasting infection. Chronic hepatitis C occurs when your body is not able to fight the virus. About 75 to 85 percent of cases with acute hepatitis C can be converted into chronic hepatitis C.
Without treatment, chronic hepatitis C can cause long-term liver disease, cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.
Cause of Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C causes viruses, hepatitis C. Hepatitis C virus spreads in contact with the blood of an infected person.
- Sharing drug needles or other drug ingredients with an infected person
- Tattoos with devices used on an infected person
- Contact with blood or open wounds of an infected person
- Using an infected person’s razor, toothbrush, or a nail-biter
- Birth from hepatitis C infected mother
- Having unprotected sex with an infected person
Symptoms of hepatitis C
Most people infected with hepatitis C have no symptoms. Some people may have symptoms within 1 to 3 months. These symptoms may include:
- Vomiting
- Dark yellow urine dark yellow urine
- Clay-colored stools
- Nausea
- Joint pain
- Feeling tired
- Yellowish eyes and skin called jaundice
- Pain in the abdomen
- Fever fever
- Loss of appetite
Diagnose hepatitis C
Doctors diagnose hepatitis C based on your medical history, physical examination, and blood tests.
History of medicine
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and whether you have any history of blood infection or injecting drugs.
Physical Examination
During a physical examination, your doctor will usually check your body such as checking the symptoms of liver damage
- Changes in skin color
- Swelling in your lower legs, legs, or ankles
- Tenderness or swelling in your stomach
Blood Tests
Blood tests for hepatitis C include:
Screening test for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus
Screening blood tests will show whether you have developed antibodies in the hepatitis C virus or not. A positive antibody test means you were exposed to the hepatitis C virus. However, the virus can no longer exist in your bloodstream after receiving treatment.
Hepatitis C RNA Test Hepatitis C RNA test
If your antibody test is positive, your doctor will use the hepatitis C RNA test to detect RNA. Hepatitis C RNA test can show if you have the hepatitis C virus, how much virus is in the blood. This information can help the doctor to treat the infection.
The doctor can get this test to see if you are treating the treatment correctly.
Genotype test
There are at least six specific species of hepatitis C called the genotype. This is what the genotype test detects.
Additional Tests
Chronic hepatitis C can cause liver damage. The doctor can recommend additional tests to find out if there is liver damage, how much liver damage is there, etc. These tests may include
- Blood test blood tests
- Special ultrasound transient elastography
- Liver biopsy liver biopsy
Who can be infected with hepatitis C?
The probability of having hepatitis C infection is high if someone has the following conditions:
- Kidney Dialysis
- Exposure to blood or infected needles
- From tattoos or body piercing tools
- Mom to Baby
- HIV infection
Complications of Hepatitis C?
Without treatment, hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C can prevent these complications.
Cirrhosis Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver gradually breaks down and is unable to function normally. Replacing healthy liver tissues, take bad tissues, and partially halt blood flow through the liver.
In the early stages of cirrhosis, the liver continues to function. But later the liver starts to stop working.
Liver Failure
Liver failure progresses in months, years, or decades. The liver cannot function in it.
Liver cancer
Having chronic hepatitis C increases the likelihood of developing liver cancer. If chronic hepatitis C causes severe liver damage or cirrhosis before hepatitis C treatment, you will continue to have an increased likelihood of liver cancer even after treatment. The doctor can get an ultrasound every 6 months. Tests to check liver cancer early-stage cancer discovery improves your chances of treating cancer.
Treatment of hepatitis C
Doctors with anti-viral drugs are treated with hepatitis C.
To treat hepatitis C, your doctor may prescribe one or more of these new, direct-acting antiviral drugs:
- daclatasvir (Daklinza)
- elbasvir/grazoprevir (Zepatier)
- ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni)
- ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (Technivie)
- ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir/dasabuvir (Viekira Pak, Viekira XR)
- simeprevir (Olysio)
- sofosbuvir (Sovaldi)
- sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (Epclusa)
- sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (Vosevi)
These medicines are very costly.
You may need to take medicines for 12 to 24 weeks to treat hepatitis C. Your doctor may order a blood test during and after your treatment blood test may show whether the treatment is working or not. Hepatitis C medicines may cause side effects. Talk to your doctor about the side effects of treatment Contact your doctor before taking any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines.
Prevention from hepatitis C infection
- Not sharing drugs needles or other drug materials
- Touching someone else’s blood or open wounds by wearing gloves
- Use of only sterilized devices of tattoos
- Not sharing personal bumps such as toothbrushes, razors, or nail-biting, etc.
- Using latex or polyurethane condoms during sex
Diet in Hepatitis C?
A balanced, healthy diet should be eaten. Alcohol should also be avoided as it can cause more liver damage.