What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, or HCV. Almost 3.5 million people suffer from this disease in the US alone. Almost 70% to 80% of the cases of acute infection do not show any kind of symptoms. This disease is called as the silent or invisible disease because there are no symptoms in most cases and even if there are, the symptoms are quite common.
The disease causes liver disease and in several cases liver cirrhosis. Chronic infection can be cured in more than 90% of cases and in some cases where liver cirrhosis is extreme, a transplant is required.
Symptoms:
Hepatitis C is known as a silent or invisible disease because most victims do not show any symptoms and most of its symptoms are so common that one does not realize they have hepatitis C until much later. Almost 70% to 80% of patients do not show any symptoms. Symptoms are mild and flu-like with fever along with the following:
-Jaundice: This is the most common symptom, it includes yellow eyes and skin along with dark colored urine.
-Stomach ache: As mentioned above, the symptoms of this disease stand out and the symptoms include something as common as stomach ache.
-Joint and muscle pain: Muscle and joint pain is another common symptom suffered by most patients.
– Itchy skin: If you have been suffering from itchy skin for more than six weeks along with any of the skins mentioned above, see a doctor.
-Urine and bowel movement abnormalities.
-Loss of Appetite: Again, a very common symptom that is induced for a variety of reasons, including stress. But if you experience loss of appetite with jaundice and other symptoms, get checked out.
-Nausea: Vomiting and palpitations, another common symptom that combined with stomach pain can give a wrong diagnosis.
-Fatigue: Tiredness. Again, another symptom which, when accompanied by the above four symptoms, can be assumed to be a side effect of jaundice.
Ways it can spread:
You can get this disease if:
– Sharing drugs and needles
-Having unprotected sex with multiple partners who have sexually transmitted infections and HIV and rough sex.
-Use used needles that have previously been used by a person with Hepatitis C. -From a mother to her child: A pregnant mother can transmit this infection to her unborn child.
-Blood transfusion: if you receive blood from a person infected with this disease.
Precautions:
What does not cause hepatitis C:
– Hugs
-Kiss
-Cough
-Sneezing
-Share utensils or glasses.
-Share food and water.
-occasional contact
-Breastfeed your baby if you are diagnosed with hepatitis C, but make sure your nipples are not cracked or bleeding.
What not to share:
-Anything that might have your blood on it, including razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, etc.
-Do not share needles or similar equipment with others. Also, if you are using drugs, including injecting street drugs, opt for a treatment program.
-Do not donate blood, organs, tissues or semen.
-Anything that might have your blood on it, including razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, etc.
Be very careful with:
-Open wounds, blisters, cuts or sores and cover them with bandages, and do not let them come into contact with other people.
-Dispose of tampons, sanitary napkins, tissues, used bandages, and anything else that may have your blood on it.
-Clean spilled blood from surfaces with bleach.
-Wash your hands and any object that comes into contact with your blood well with soap.
Sex and Hepatitis C:
Hepatitis C can be spread through sexual intercourse, but it is a rare phenomenon. In fact, according to the CDC, if you’re monogamous, the risk is pretty low, extremely rare that they don’t even recommend condom use. Also, hepatitis C is not transmitted through oral sex. But if you have multiple partners, you may want to protect your partner by using a condom.
Cures –Harvoni®:
Medications for hepatitis C:
Hepatitis C is an infection in the liver caused by the presence of the virus called HCV or hepatitis C virus. Just as there are different blood groups, this disease is also classified into genotypes numbered from 1 to 6. According to statistics, around 75% of patients affected by HCV are diagnosed with HCV genotype 1. There are no vaccines available for HCV and cautious activities can only be avoided when in close proximity to already affected patients. It can be prevented by avoiding contact with infected fluids or sharing needles, as the disease can be spread through physical contact. There are many medicines prescribed by specialists that treat HCV. One of them is harvoni®, which is a suitable drug for HCV genotypes 1, 4, 5 and 6. HARVONI® is a combination of two antiviral medicines called ledipasvir and sofosbuvir. These prevent the Hepatitis C virus from multiplying inside the body. Before the doctor prescribes the medicine to a person affected by HCV, he will consider several factors, such as treatment history in case you have already been treated for this disease, the level of virus in the body, allergies to any of the components of the drug. and the extent of damage to the liver. In case this medicine has to be combined with another medicine called ribavirin, it could affect the pregnancy. The drug when prescribed separately does not affect the fetus and does not pass to babies through breast milk. Also, there is no research on whether this medication is safe for children under 18 years of age. The prescribed dosage for the drug is one pill per day and the most commonly suggested treatment cycle is a 12-week period and patients are advised to take the drug at the same time every day.