Essay on Hepatitis C

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.

HCV is known as the "silent killer" due it's long duration on the liver for 20-30 years (Hirsch, 2000).

Many people don’t understand how dangerous Hepatitis C is because it is not commonly known about as much as Hepatitis A or B. This disease is however very serious. Although frequently asymptomatic 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. Treatment options for the disease, if caught early enough is a combination of medications or depending on the degree of damage, a liver transplant. ”For some people, hepatitis C is a short-term illness but for 70%-85% of people who become infected with

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.

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).

Hepatitis C is definitely not a public health crisis that needs emergency intervention in terms of the policy makers being pressured to make a decision urgently. However, thousands of citizens of the United States die on a yearly basis from this contagious disease (CDC, 2014). This makes it a serious public health issue. Hepatitis C is basically a liver disease that is contagious in nature and could be fatal if left untreated. According to the CDC website over 3 million Americans are infected with the disease (HCV), and “approximately 75%–85% of people who become infected with Hepatitis C virus develop chronic infection”. Hepatitis C is most commonly transmitted in the United States through IV drug use (CDC, 2014). Other modes of transmission includes blood transfusion or coming in contact with someone’s blood, accidental needlestick injuries among health care workers (e.g., nurses and phlebotomists), sexual contact (rare) and infants born to mothers who have the disease. These above medical and demographic facts make HCV a serious threat on public health.

Hepatitis C is a blood transmitted virus that has been know for substandard therapies/ drug treatments. When Mr. Parish commented that currently, there is no absolute cure to HCV, my mind immediately shifted to “cancer”. People often think of cancer as the most severe illness someone can get, because there is no cure. However, we forget that in actuality, there are numerous

Hepatitis C contamination additionally expands the danger of creating liver disease just like hepatitis B. Until the 1980 's, hepatitis C virus (HCV) was known as non-A non-B hepatitis. The underlying disease may have side effects, yet a critical number of individuals don 't have side effects. Not at all like hepatitis B, in which the ailment does not frequently get to be constant, have around 80% of individuals with hepatitis C built up an endless disease. As the invulnerable framework keeps on assaulting the infection after some time, fibrosis grows, in the end prompting cirrhosis. This unending aggravation can likewise prompt liver growth. This infection is spread through tainted blood, for example, with transfusions and IV drug misuse, however numerous individuals don 't have evident danger components for the sickness. It is currently suggested that

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes inflammation of the liver, eventually leading to tissue damage. Cirrhosis is the result of extensive scarring of the liver. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that HCV typically causes cirrhosis in 5 to 20 percent of infected people over a period of 20 to 30 years. Overall, cirrhosis develops 20 to 30 percent of the time. Progression to cirrhosis may be accelerated in people who are older, obese, drink alcohol, or are immune-suppressed (such as people who are coinfected with HIV).

In several clinical cohorts, it has been shown that chronic hepatitis C is a main leading cause of cirrhosis and HCC, which is the third cause of cancer deaths worldwide (EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines, 2011).

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis is most commonly caused by viruses, and can cause your liver to become inflamed, swollen and tender. The symptoms of Hepatitis start out like the flu with coughing, fever, aches, and vomiting. However, the disease gradually worsens with symptoms of extreme weakness and excruciating abdominal pain. Never the less, Hepatitis can also be caused by alcohol and some other toxins and infections. There are many forms of Hepatitis; the most commonly seen forms are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis c. Furthermore, Worldwide, 500 million people are estimated to be infected with Hepatitis B or C. These viruses kill 1.5 million people a year; 1 in every 3 people has been exposed to either or both viruses and most infected people do not know about it due to dormant symptoms.

Although we are well aware of the mode of transmission, the hepatitis C virus itself remains a mystery. The genome of HCV is extremely mutable. Because HCV is an RNA virus and does not have adequate proofreading ability as it replicates, virions infecting humans undergo evolution with time, giving rise to the notion that HCV persists as a collection of virus quasispecies. Because it is constantly mutating, HCV is able to escape detection and elimination its human host. HCV undergoes quick mutation in a hypervariable region of the genome coding for the envelope proteins and escapes immune surveillance by the host. As a result, most HCV-infected people develop chronic infection. HCV also knocks out the host’s innate immunity.

Hepatitis is caused by a virus that is targeted at the liver, one of your most important organs!! Specifically, it causes inflammation and injury to the liver. Hepatitis comes in many different forms, five to be exact. There is Hepatitis A, B, C, D & E. Hepatitis is caused mainly by viruses, all of which are set on shutting down your liver. I will be specifically concentrating on Hepatitis A in this report. Hepatitis A is also known as infectious Hepatitis, an extremely contagious viral infection that often effects young children and young adults, especially those in large groups. It has been known to break out in schools, summer camps and music festivals etc.