Tips for Managing Symptoms Associated with HCV

Many people with acute HBV have no symptoms at all, or they could be very insignificant and flu-like. Sometimes the infected person may have a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, mild fever, and in some cases jaundice (yellowing of the skin). Also, some of the patients may notice dark urine and light colored stools. Because Hepatitis sometimes has no symptoms it can be unknowingly transmitted through exposure to blood or other bodily fluids or through intimate

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.

A few years ago, Hepatitis C was a scary term for many of us. But, today the medical problem is curable as there are various and advanced ways available. The improvement in the treatment is especially notable because experts have worked harder to obtain this success. Still, there are some significant changes are left and hopefully they will be completed soon. Presently, the HCV treatments get rid of the virus in merely slightly more than half of all sufferers. The medicines also have unnecessary side effects that make it complicated or not possible for some patients to get them. HCV medication online available, but it is not worthy to take them without the concern of the doctor.

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.

There are a wide variety of symptoms that one, who is infected with hepatitis C, can experience while in the different stages of the virus. The first symptoms occur between six to twelve weeks of contact with the virus (Hoofnagle).The most common are flu like symptoms. They are fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, fever, chills, headaches, sore throat, and joint pain (Turkington 34). These symptoms last only for about a week so many people ignore them and go back to their normal lives. Once most people become infected with acute hepatitis C and are untreated, patient will develop chronic hepatitis. In fact 85 percent of infected people develop chronic hepatitis C

Initially, the treatment for hepatitis C is a combination of two drug categories which are interferon and ribavirin (IDSA, 2016). Interferon works by stimulating the immune system to attack the hepatitis C virus cells (IDSA, 2016). Pegylated interferon works more efficient than standard interferon. Pegylated interferon is a long-acting type of interferon that is administered as an injection with significant side effects; consequently, many patients with HCV cannot continue taking it (IDSA, 2016).

From fever to loss of appetite, there is a range of symptoms that come along with Hepatitis C. The most common symptoms are flu-like, for example a fever, fatigue and stomach pain are expected ("Hepatitis C Treatment"). Although these symptoms are common, Hepatitis C usually goes unnoticed until serious damage has occurred ("Hepatitis C Treatment"). Considering this disease affects the liver directly, the digestive system is the main system effected. However, it can alter the central nervous system and the circulatory system. The liver filters toxins out of the blood and when it is not functioning correctly the buildup of toxins can cause forgetfulness, poor concentration and personality changes (Kahn). Also, there can be an increase in blood pressure and an increase of sugar in the blood, which can lead to Diabetes (Kahn). There are numerous symptoms that are observed with Hepatitis C that can be present in more than one body

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

Symptoms of Hepatitis B may include: Abdominal pain, dark urine, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weakness and fatigue, and jaundice. The causes of these symptoms can include by: Sexual contact, sharing of needles, accidental needle sticks at hospitals, and from mother to their child (MayoClinic). The type of medication you will get will depend on how badly your live may be damaged. Hepatitis B treatment moves quite slowly. Antiviral treatment is available to anyone who has Hepatitis B. They will need lifelong monitoring to see if anything worse happens to the liver and if the infection progresses (sahealth). People with Hepatitis B need lots of bed rest and plenty of fluids. People with acute Hepatitis B do not require treatment at all just home remedies, on the other hand people with chronic Hepatitis B do require a lot of

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 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.

CDC 's national strategy to prevent HCV infection includes 1) prevention of transmission during high-risk activities (e.g., injection-drug use and unprotected sex with multiple partners) through risk-reduction counseling, testing, and appropriate medical management of infected persons; 2) donor screening and product inactivation procedures to eliminate transmission from blood, blood products, donor organs, and tissue; and 3) improved infection control practices to further reduce risk of transmission during medical procedures † (10).

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.

Interferon alpha (IFN -a) has been considered the only option available for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with sustained remission in about 20-25% of cases (Poynard et al., 1998). In recent years, it has been established that the combination of IFN-a with ribavirin (RIBA) may increase the biochemical and virological response rates in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients to about 40%. Currently the combination therapy of IFN-and RIBA is the first line treatment in patients (Bergamini et al., 2001). Interferon is a low molecular weight glycoprotein cytokines produced by host cells in response to viral infections. Interferon bind to specific cell surface receptors and effect viral replication at multiple steps: viral penetration, synthesis