What we all should know about Hepatitis C!

 “Hepatitis” means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis C virus. Chronic Hepatitis C is a serious disease that can result in long-term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure, and liver cancer. Approximately 12,000 people die every year from Hepatitis C-related liver disease.

                                                                       

 There are two forms of Hepatitis C: acute and chronic. Acute Hepatitis C is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the Hepatitis C virus. For reasons that are not known, 15%–25% of people “clear” the virus without treatment. Approximately 75%–85% of people who become infected with the Hepatitis C virus develop “chronic,” or lifelong, infection. Chronic Hepatitis C is a long-term illness that occurs when the Hepatitis C virus remains in a person’s body. Over time, it can lead to serious liver problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.

                            

Transmission of Hepatitis C

    By blood to blood contact

    Exposure to contaminated needles or other equipment

    Sex with multiple partners or rough sex

    Tattooed or pierced with non-sterile needles or equipment

    Accidental needle stick with a needle that was used on an infected person

    Using the same razor or toothbrush that an infected person used

According to the Center of Disease Control, in 2007, an estimated 17,000 new cases of hepatitis C were expected for the United States. An estimated 3.2 million people in the United States are infected with chronic hepatitis C.

 Symptoms of Hepatitis C         

 Many people with Hepatitis C do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. Even though a person has no symptoms, the virus can still be detected in the blood. If symptoms occur with acute infection, they can appear anytime from 2 weeks to 6 months after exposure. Symptoms of chronic Hepatitis C can take up to 30 years to develop. Damage to the liver can silently occur during this time.

    Fever

    Easy bruising

    Fatigue

    Loss of appetite

    Vomiting

    Nausea

    Abdominal pain

    Longer than usual amount of time to stop bleeding.

Testing

 Doctors can diagnose Hepatitis C using specific blood tests that are not part of blood work typically done during regular physical exams. Typically, a person first gets a screening test that looks for “antibodies” to the Hepatitis C virus. Antibodies are chemicals released into the bloodstream when a person becomes infected. The antibodies remain in the bloodstream, even if the person clears the virus. If the screening test is positive for Hepatitis C antibodies, different blood tests are needed to determine whether the infection has been cleared or has become a chronic infection.

Should get tested if:

    Currently inject or use to  inject drug

    Have abnormal liver tests or liver disease

    Received donated blood or organs before 1992

    Been exposed to blood on the job through a needle stick or injury with a sharp object

    Currently on hemodialysis

Managing

         

With proper management people with hepatitis C can lead full and active lives. Liver damage can be decreased and managed through lifestyle modification. An individual with hepatitis C should decrease or cease smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs or exposures to other harmful chemicals. The management of hormones is compromised in hepatitis C. This can affect immunological, emotional and sexual aspects of your life. May also need supplements of vitamins for vitamin A, D,E, K, B12, iron and copper. Need to be under the care of a doctor who specializes in the liver. The individual should stay on any prescribed medications. One of most important aspects is to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious meals, getting exercise, and resting when you feel tired.

What’s Going On?

 There are multiple projects that have been started to bring awareness to this disease. For instance, World Hepatitis Day, which is on July 28, 2011, which spreads awareness about hepatitis B and C.

References

American liver foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.liverfoundation.org

Hepatitis c-general information. (2010, June). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis

McKnight, E. (n.d.). Hepatitis toolkit. Retrieved from http://www.HONOReform.org

About viral hepatitis. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/AboutViralHepatitis.aspx