Hepatitis C And Its Effects On The Human Body

This research paper is going to review today’s silent killer, the Hepatitis C virus. This paper will talk about the description of the disease, the signs and symptoms, the etiology and risk factors, diagnostic studies, treatments and prognosis of this disease. I had lived with this disease for over ten years before diagnosed so it is important to understand the signs and symptoms so the disease can be identified and a treatment plan can be identified as the sooner it is treated the more likely it will eradicate the disease.

Hepatitis C virus is considered 10 times more infectious than HIV when comparing transmission by blood to blood contact (Wilkinson

The increasing number of citizens that are testing positive for Hepatitis C is shocking and the epidemic is just getting worse. One out of every one hundred people in the general population has Hepatitis C, but the ratio is higher in prisons. One out of every six inmates has Hepatitis C (Wegner, Rottnek, Parker and Crippin, 2014). Hepatitis C (HCV) is a blood disease that is caused by a virus and it affects the liver. Unfortunately there is no vaccine to prevent this disease and I have seen first-hand how ugly this virus is. I have worked in the medical field for the past 6 years and I have a very close friend who contracted HCV. Unfortunately, she was one of the many people that needed a liver transplant. HCV has infected four times as

12- Hepatitis A- is usually not a serious illness. It is prevalent in developing countries, especially those with overcrowding and poor sanitation, in men who have sex with men, and injecting drug users.

In time the virus can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. Symptoms of HCV are jaundice (yellowing of the eyes), stomach pain, nausea and fatigue. The main problem is that many people don’t have symptoms until they already have some sort of liver damage. Treatment options for HCV include a combination of medications or depending on the degree of damage, a liver transplant. Given that HCV it is a blood disease that is spread through contact with an infected person’s blood, there are many ways to contract this disease. Injection drug users, physical altercations, sexual contact and mother to infant infection are just some of the ways this disease is spread.

Hepatitis C has been referred to as a "Silent Epidemic," since it usually progresses slowly over many years. Most people who are infected with hepatitis C are not aware of any noticeable symptoms for as long as one to two decades after they are infected. In fact, by the time symptoms appear, the virus has probably already begun to damage the liver. If the liver is injured and stops functioning, death will always be the outcome (Lieber). Liver failure from chronic hepatitis C is one of the most common causes of liver transplants in the United States.

Hepatitis C is a prevalent health care problem. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2016), approximately 2.7-3.9 million of the adult population in the United States is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Some groups of people are at risk for Hepatitis C infection, including current injection drug users, people who received the blood transfusion before 1992, organ recipients from a donor who tested positive for hepatitis C virus, hemodialysis patients, and children born to a hepatitis C mother (CDC, 2016). Hepatitis C causes embarrassment and isolation from the society. Self-esteem and understanding of the family, friend and community will motivate the patient to have a good quality life in society. This

Recall the dreaded trips to the doctor’s office when it was time to get shots. These shots are vaccines, which provide immunity to certain diseases. You received vaccines for Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Measles and Polio. A vaccine you did not get though, is one for Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the way the liver operates, and although there is a vaccine for both Hepatitis A and B, there is not one for C. Hepatitis C affects the digestive system, more specifically the liver. It can also damage the central nervous system and the circulatory system. Blood tests are the most common way to detect Hepatitis C and after one has been diagnosed with it, there are many ways to treat it. Hepatitis C is a treatable disease with varying

There are a number of individuals who may be suffering from an illness and not even be aware they have an illness. One example of such illness is Hepatitis C (HCV). Hepatitis C is a severe disease of the liver. It is caused by the Hepatitis C virus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015). As a result, Hepatitis C has been termed a silent epidemic (CDC, 2015). This is because a lot of individuals have Hepatitis C and don’t even realize they have the infection (CDC, 2015). As the infection begins to progress over time, it could cause acute issues to the liver (CDC, 2015). Those issues could be things like damage to the liver, the liver could fail to function, cirrhosis, or even cancer of the liver (CDC, 2015). However, screening for Hepatitis C will allow an individual to benefit from treatments that are available, hence eliminating the disease from the body and preventing the liver from undergoing any further damage (CDC, 2015).

Because Hepatitis B is a virus there is no way to actually curing it. There is a very effective vaccine that has been available since 1982. This Hepatitis B vaccine is 90% effective in preventing infection. This was the first vaccine against a major human cancer. Another way you can prevent Hepatitis B is by using a latex condom while having intercourse. Also you can prevent Hepatitis B by not sharing needles, drugs or inhalant devices. Stay away from an infected person’s personal items such as razors and tooth brushes. Always practice good personal hygiene such as washing your hands. Take precautions before traveling to countries or places that are known to have poor sanitation and make sure that you have your immunization before you travel.

Around us, in us, and on us there are organisms that we cannot see; microorganisms. Some of these living beings can be necessary or neutral to our health. However, other microorganisms can cause us infections or diseases, we call them parasites. Each type of parasite targets a specific part of the body. The Hepatitis A virus (HAV) causes specific damage to the liver that can cause the Hepatitis A infection.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis C virus. The disease can be either acute or a chronic infection, which can be mild or a lifelong disease. This disease also is the major cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. The disease is slow moving and sometimes take up to thirty years to damage the liver. In the United States there are an estimated three to four million people with the disease and are not even aware. Approximately thirty percent of the individuals infected within six months have no symptoms and will not even be aware that they have the disease. In the remaining seventy percent infected the disease will become chronic. According to statics one hundred and seventy million people are chronically infected worldwide.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of liver disease and is the number-one bloodborne virus in the United States. HCV is a virus identified in 1989 that often results in chronic infection of the blood. This infection harms the human liver, resulting in low-grade inflammation and progressive fibrosis of the liver, cirrhosis, liver cancer and death (CDC, 2011; Pears, 2010). Approximately 1.3-1.9 percent of the population of the United States has been infected or is infected with HCV. HCV

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. There are currently five known viruses that cause can hepatitis (Microbiology, 10e). The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted through contact with the blood of an infected person; however, it is now more commonly spread among IV drug users that share needles. Healthcare workers are also at risk for contracting HCV, but with standard precautions, the risk is low. “Prior to 1992, some people acquired the HCV infection from transfusions of blood or blood products. Since 1992, all blood products have been screened for HCV, and cases of HCV due to blood transfusion now are extremely rare. HCV can be passed from mother to unborn child. Approximately 4 out of every 100 infants born to HCV-positive mothers

After 1992 blood banks began screening the blood for the hepatics C virus. According to Dr. Palmer on page 117 she states, that it has been estimated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that almost 300,000 Americans have contracted HCV prior to the advent of screening of donated blood and blood product for HIV.