overview
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Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver and sometimes serious liver damage. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread through contaminated blood.
Until recently, treatment for hepatitis C required weekly injections and oral medications, which many people with HCV could not take due to other health problems or unacceptable side effects.
It changes. Today, chronic HCV is usually curable with oral medications taken daily for two to six months.
Still, about half of people with HCV do not know they are infected, mainly because they do not have symptoms that can take decades to appear. For this reason, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all adults between the ages of 18 and 79 be screened for hepatitis C, including those with no symptoms or known liver disease.
symptoms
Long-term infection with the hepatitis C virus is known as chronic hepatitis C. Chronic hepatitis C is usually a “silent” infection for many years until the virus does enough damage to the liver to cause the signs and symptoms of liver disease.
Signs and symptoms are:
- Bleeding easily
- Bruises easily
- Tired
- Small appetite
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Dark urine
- Itchy skin
- Buildup of fluid in the abdomen (ascites)
- Swelling of the legs
- Weight loss
The reasons
Hepatitis C infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection spreads when blood contaminated with the virus enters the bloodstream of an uninfected person.
Across the world, HCV exists in different forms called genotypes. Seven different genotypes of HCV and over 67 subtypes have been identified. The most common HCV genotype in the United States is type 1.
Although chronic hepatitis C follows a similar course regardless of the genotype of the infecting virus, treatment recommendations vary depending on the viral genotype.
Risk factors
Your risk of getting hepatitis C infection is increased if you:
- You are a healthcare professional who has been exposed to infected blood. This can happen when an infected needle pierces your skin
- You have ever injected or inhaled illegal drugs
- Have HIV
- Received a piercing or tattoo in an unclean environment with non-sterile equipment
- Received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992
- Coagulation factor concentrates obtained before 1987
- Has received hemodialysis treatments for a long time
- Were born to a woman infected with hepatitis C.
- I’ve never been to jail
prevention
Protect yourself from hepatitis C by taking the following precautions:
- Stop using street drugs, especially if you are injecting them. If you use street drugs, get help.
- Be careful when piercing and tattooing. If you decide to get a piercing or a tattoo, look for a reputable deal. Ask questions about how to clean the device in advance.
- Make sure employees are using sterile needles. If employees don’t answer your questions, find another business. Hepatitis C Treatment in Nizamabad