Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus and after being infected with HCV, there can be no obvious symptoms for decades. Symptoms may not appear until the liver has been severely damaged.
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the
hepatitis C virus, which can lead to acute or chronic hepatitis.
About 70% of hepatitis C infected people will
still detect hepatitis C virus in their blood 6 months after infection, which
means that their body cannot clear the virus on its own, that is, they will
develop chronic hepatitis (lifelong infection). After being infected with HCV,
there can be no obvious symptoms for decades. Symptoms may not appear until the
liver has been severely damaged. Like other viral hepatitis, complications of
hepatitis C include cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Taking chronic
hepatitis C patients as an example, the risk of developing liver cirrhosis
within 20 years is as high as 15% to 30%.
The HCV enters the liver cells, where more
virus is replicated. The body fights the virus inside the liver cells, which
can cause liver damage. Sometimes the body overpowers all HCV, which can happen
within the first six months of your infection.
Most people's bodies cannot defeat all
hepatitis C viruses. Over time, the liver will be damaged and left with many
scars, also known as cirrhosis, which can lead to liver cancer and liver
failure.
One of the Hepatitis is called Chronic
Hepatitis C is inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus that
lasts longer than 6 months. Hepatitis C usually does not cause symptoms until
it has severely damaged the liver.
Doctors diagnose chronic hepatitis C based on
blood test results.
If chronic hepatitis C leads to cirrhosis,
liver cancer screening should be done every 6 months.
Chronic hepatitis C is treated with antiviral
drugs.
Acute hepatitis C becomes chronic in
approximately 75% of infected patients.
From 2013 to 2016, an estimated 2.4 million
people in the United States lived with chronic hepatitis C. An estimated 71
million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis C.
If chronic hepatitis C is left untreated,
approximately 20% to 30% of patients will develop cirrhosis. But that could
take decades. The risk of liver cancer is usually increased only when cirrhosis
is present.
In the preceding paras I will cover following
most common questions.
Is hepatitis C contagious?
Why is there no vaccine for prevention?
What is hepatitis C?
What is the difference between hepatitis A and
hepatitis B?
Why is there no relevant vaccine on the market?
What is hepatitis C?
Symptoms of Hepatitis C
How is hepatitis C transmitted?
Hepatitis C Treatment
Hepatitis C Test
How to prevent hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C Frequently Asked Questions
What is hepatitis C?
What are the apparent Symptoms of Hepatitis C?
The incubation period of hepatitis C ranges
from 2 weeks to 6 months, and symptoms usually appear within 6 to 9 weeks. Most
(about 80%) infected people have no obvious symptoms. Some acute hepatitis C
patients may have the following symptoms, which last for 2 weeks to 3 months:
Fever
Loss of appetite
Unusually tired
Nausea
Vomit
Epigastric discomfort
Stomach ache
Abdominal fluid
Joint and muscle pain
Swollen feet
Itchy skin
weight loss
Darker urine
Light-colored stool
Jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes
and skin)
Bruising easily
Easy to bleed
Confusion and slurred speech
Drowsiness
Pider veins in the skin
How is hepatitis C transmitted?
Hepatitis C virus is generally transmitted
through blood, and the common routes of infection are as follows:
Sharing needles and injecting drugs
Sharing toothbrushes or razors
Reuse of medical tools that have not been
thoroughly sterilized
Transfusion of blood that has been contaminated
with the virus
Doctors and nurses exposed to blood or body
fluids with virus due to work
Incompletely sterilized needles for tattooing,
piercing or acupuncture
Mother-to-child transmission (but the
probability is only 4%-8%)
Sexual contact (uncommon; MSM, HIV, and STDs
are at higher risk)
What is Hepatitis C Treatment?
Currently, oral direct-acting antivirals (DAA)
are the first-line treatment for hepatitis C.
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Compared with the traditional course of
peginterferon and ribavirin, DAA has a significant therapeutic effect and fewer
side effects, which can greatly reduce the risk of patients developing
cirrhosis, liver cancer or death due to liver disease. The course of DAA
treatment generally lasts 8 to 12 weeks.
It is worth noting that patients will not gain
immunity after taking medicine and recovering. Therefore, high-risk behaviors
(such as sharing needles and injecting drugs) must be avoided in order to
prevent secondary infection.
How to prevent hepatitis C?
Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is currently no
vaccine against hepatitis C. To prevent hepatitis C, pay attention to the
following methods:
Avoid direct contact with other people's blood
and body fluids
Drug addicts should stop injecting drugs and
start methadone treatment as soon as possible
Avoid sharing needles and personal hygiene items
(razors, toothbrushes, etc.)
Medical staff should follow the guidelines for
self-protection and disposal of clinical waste
Make sure that needles are not reused when
tattooing, piercing, and acupuncture
Why is there no vaccine against hepatitis C?
As early as 30 years ago, the research and
development of hepatitis C vaccine began. To this day, vaccines are still being
developed and tested. The development of hepatitis C vaccine is slow, mainly
due to the unique characteristics of hepatitis C virus (easy to mutate, with as
many as 60 subtypes), and the limited number of animal research objects for
hepatitis C infection (mainly chimpanzees and humans, due to cost and ethical
considerations).
Can hepatitis C be spread through droplets?
Hepatitis C can only be transmitted through
blood contact and cannot be spread in daily social interactions such as dinner
parties, handshakes, hugs and kisses.
How does the human body get infected with
hepatitis C?
The blood of a person with hepatitis C virus is
passed into another person's blood system, thereby infecting hepatitis C. Even
if the amount of blood is so small that it cannot be seen with the naked eye,
the hepatitis C virus can still be transmitted.
High risk activities
Sharing needles, syringes and spoons for drug
injection is the most common route of hepatitis C transmission
Unsterilized body piercing or tattooing
Piercing the skin with unsterilized medical,
dental, or acupuncture needles
Low risk activities
Pregnant mothers infected with hepatitis C may
pass it on to their babies during pregnancy or at birth
Sharing toothbrushes and razors
Health care worker accidentally stabs herself
Hepatitis C is not spread by:
Shared toilets and showers
Sweating or washing with the clothes of someone
with hepatitis C
Sharing cutlery, plates, cups and water glasses
Eat food prepared by someone with hepatitis C
Sneezing, coughing, kissing or hugging
Swimming pool
Animal or insect bites (eg, mosquitoes)
Vaccinations, blood transfusions, medical and
dental are safe in Australia and we strictly follow all health and safety
regulations.
How do I know if I have hepatitis C?
Most people with hepatitis C do not look sick
or feel sick. The most common symptom of hepatitis C is nausea. A blood test is
the only way to confirm the diagnosis.
When do I need to be checked?
Ask your doctor for a hepatitis C test if:
You have injected drugs, even if just once or a
long time ago (drugs include bodybuilding steroids)
You have served time in prison in a country
You had an organ transplant or blood
transfusion before 1990 in Australia, or before testing for hepatitis C started
in any other country
You have tattoos or piercings
You are from an area with a high incidence of
hepatitis C, such as: Africa, the Middle East (especially Egypt), the Mediterranean,
Eastern Europe, and South Asia
Your mother has hepatitis C
You are male, living with HIV and have same-sex
sex
Your sexual partner has hepatitis C
Can hepatitis C be treated or cured?
The answer is yes, your doctor will prescribe
medicines to cure hepatitis C.
If I have hepatitis C, do I need to tell
others?
By law, you must tell these people:
If you donate blood to a blood bank
If you donate organs (such as a kidney) or
donate fluids (such as sperm)
Some insurance companies require you to tell
them if you have hepatitis C or other medical conditions. If you hide
something, they may refuse to pay you when you claim
There are different types of HCV (genotypes 1
to 6) and they are sometimes treated with different medicines.
Who treats hepatitis C?
If you think you may be at risk for the disease
hepatitis C, talk to your current healthcare provider about getting tested.
Once you have been diagnosed with hepatitis C infection, you may need to see a
specialist. Specialists who work with people with hepatitis C include the
following healthcare providers:
Doctors who specialize in liver disease
(hepatologists)
Doctors who specialize in diseases of the
stomach and intestines (gastroenterology)
Doctors who specialize in infectious diseases
Nurse Practitioners Focused on Patients with
Liver Diseases
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who,
through higher education and clinical training, are prepared to take on some of
the responsibilities previously only performed by physicians. They work within
medical teams and can provide a wide range of health care services, including
the diagnosis and management of common as well as complex medical conditions.
What are my treatment options?
Treatment for hepatitis C depends on several
factors, including:
How much virus is in your body (your viral
load)
Genotype or strain of hepatitis C virus you
have
If you have liver damage such as cirrhosis
What other health problems do you have
Your response to previous hepatitis C treatment
Acute (short-term) hepatitis C
Most people with acute hepatitis C infection
are usually unaware they have the virus and therefore go untreated. However, if
a person becomes aware that they may have been exposed to the virus -- like a
healthcare worker with a needlestick injury -- acute hepatitis C infection can
be detected early and medication recommended.
Doctors sometimes just recommend bed rest,
drinking plenty of fluids, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding alcohol. You
must see your doctor regularly for follow-up blood tests to make sure your body
has fully recovered from the virus.
Chronic (long-term) hepatitis C
Chronic hepatitis C is when the hepatitis C
virus (HCV) has been present for 6 months or longer. Many people already have
chronic hepatitis C when they are first diagnosed because they were unknowingly
infected with the virus many years ago. Your healthcare provider will evaluate
you to determine how much damage or scarring you have on your liver.
If you have severe scarring (cirrhosis),
treatment with antiviral medicines is usually recommended. If you have light to
mild scarring (early fibrosis), you should still consider hepatitis C treatment
to avoid long-term complications of the disease, even though you may not be at
risk for many years. In fact, as shorter, simpler, and more effective treatment
options become available, everyone should consider getting treatment. Discuss
the risks and benefits of treatment with your healthcare provider.
Am I eligible for treatment?
In the past, hepatitis C treatment consisted
mainly of interferon and ribavirin, but side effects kept many patients out of
treatment. However, with the advent of current interferon-free treatment
options, many of these individuals can now be treated for hepatitis C
infection.
When discussing your eligibility for treatment
and deciding which treatment option is best for you, your hepatitis C provider
may want to know the following:
What medications are you currently taking? Some
medicines interact with hepatitis C medicines, which can affect the levels of
either medicine - this means the levels of the hepatitis C medicine or your
other medicines may become too high or too low. If it is too high there may be
a risk of poisoning, or if it is too low the drug may be less effective. If
available, your hepatitis C provider will choose an interaction-free treatment
option. If not, he or she can discuss with your other healthcare provider the
possibility of changing your current medications before hepatitis C treatment
begins. For example, people taking amiodarone (brand names: Cordarone,
Nexterone, Pacerone) should not take Sovaldi or Harvoni because of the serious
risk of slow heart rate; deaths have been reported. People taking amiodarone
will need some other hepatitis C treatment.
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