Hepatitis C. Hepatitis : A Viral Disease That Damages And Affects Liver

Hepatitis is bloodborne and is present in all body fluids of the infected person. Hepatitis unlike HIV can live on the outside surface of the skin for a long period of time. There are three types of hepatitis which are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis B is the hardest to kill on the surface. Make sure to disinfect all surfaces with a hospital grade disinfectant. (sounds plagerised)

There are two different main types of diagnostic testing that can be done to determine if the Hepatitis C virus is present in your body. The Hepatitis C Antibody test is a screening test ordered by your physician that will show if you have ever been exposed to the virus in your lifetime. This test detects antibodies that your body would have formed in order to fight off the Hepatitis C virus.

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.

If someone is getting tested for Hepatitis C, they will first take an antibody test. This test will detect if antibodies are present in the blood, which will tell if the person has ever had Hepatitis C, not if they currently possess it (“Who Should”). If the antibody test comes back positive, a qualitative test will then be run. This test declares tells if someone is currently infected with Hepatitis C. A quantitative test can also be run, which shows the amount of Hepatitis C that is in the blood (“Who Should”). There are two main medications that are used to treat Hepatitis C. The first being Pegylated Interferon and another being Ribavirin. Both medications are used for the treatment of adult patients with chronic liver disease (FDA). These medications are used in place of the vaccine that has not been created for Hepatitis C. Therefore, Hepatitis C can be detected easily and is treatable.

HCV can run years or even decades and may be undiagnosed. This is the reason that until the infection progressed so far because the virus infection and low probability are causing side effects or symptoms. In many cases, we found that HCV liver injury found by regular medical

Your doctor also may be able to tell if you have had the vaccine to prevent the virus.If your doctor thinks you may have liver damage from hepatitis B, he or she may use a needle to take a tiny sample of your liver for testing. This is called a liver biopsy.In most cases, hepatitis B goes away on its own. You can relieve your symptoms at home by resting, eating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding alcohol and drugs. Also, find out from your doctor what medicines and herbal products to avoid, because some can make liver damage caused by hepatitis B

Causes- You can contract this virus through contact such as a handshake, a hug or sitting on a toilet seat but there are several ways you can contract this disease. One way you can contract this disease is by having unprotected sex with someone who has Hepatitis B. This could come from blood, saliva, semen and vaginal secretions. Another way you could get the disease with dirty needles. An infant has a risk of contracting the disease its mother already has the virus. (4)

Despite the risk is very low the disease can be spread through unprotected sex. The risk is higher among men having sex with men or having sex with multiple partners. However the best way to prevent the spread is the use of condoms.

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.

“Infection can be easily spread through direct sexual contact, from the skin and mucous membranes of infected people to the skin and mucous membranes of their partners” (NCI, 2015).

The Hepatitis C virus is transmitted primarily through blood contact with an infected carrier and is the most common chronic blood borne infection. This can occur through needle sticks, sharing of syringes, tattoos or body piercing with unsterilized equipment, blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992, receiving blood product for clotting, having multiple sexual partners and unprotected intercourse with an infected carrier. Other modes of transmission include being born to a mother with Hepatitis C or being a long-term dialysis patient. Risks that were once a concern such as blood transfusions and organ donation are a rare risk now due to strict blood screen testing that has been performed for at least the last decade if not longer.

Hepatitis can be defined as “liver inflammation caused by viral infection or toxins like drugs or alcohol” (Myers, 2015). Viral hepatitis is caused by one of the five types of hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. Each of these types of hepatitis can be contracted in various

There are three general components in a diagnostic procedure 1) history, 2) physical examination, and 3) laboratory testing. When it comes to diagnosing one for hepatitis C, one’s doctor will first ask questions pertaining to one’s personal, family, and medical history such as symptoms experienced, general health, and lifestyle. This gives the doctor an insight to one’s personal history and lifestyle in order to determine whether one has or is at risk for hepatitis C infection.

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.

There is no specific treatment for viral Hepatitis. Bed rest and preferably hospitalization is a necessary step in the early treatment. Even though Hepatitis A is a highly contagious virus, isolation of the patient to a single room is not necessary. However, proper prevention methods such as washing your hand after handling the patient, careful handling of the body fluids and feces and wearing gloves when drawing blood is important.