Causes of Hepatitis C...Get To Know Them

 

Causes of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver, sometimes resulting in serious damage to the liver. The hepatitis virus is spread through contaminated blood. Until recently, treatment for hepatitis C required weekly injections and oral medications that many People with hepatitis C virus who took it because of other health problems or side effects they did not accept, but currently chronic hepatitis C disease is curable by taking oral medications every day for two to six months, however, about Half of those infected do not know they have the infection.Symptoms of hepatitis C

Symptoms of hepatitis C are not visible or tangible for many people, as a study issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proves that seventy to eighty percent of people with hepatitis C do not have any symptoms, but some people may experience symptoms ranging from moderate And severe, including the following:

• temperature rise .
• Dark urine.
• Loss of appetite .
• Abdominal pain or discomfort.
• Feeling pain in the joints .
• jaundice ;

Hepatitis C can also cause many complications in the long term, including the following:

• Cirrhosis of the liver : After twenty to thirty years of hepatitis C infection, cirrhosis of the liver may occur.
• Liver cancer: A small number of people with hepatitis C infection develop cancer in it.
• Cirrhosis of the liver: Cirrhosis of the liver causes the liver to stop working, which is a complication of hepatitis C.

Causes of hepatitis C infection

Hepatitis C infection is transmitted through contact with the blood of people with the disease, and therefore there can be many ways that are likely to cause its transmission from one person to another, and among these methods are the following:

• Undergoing an organ transplant.
• Transfusion.
• Sharing tools that may transmit disease, such as: razors or toothbrushes.
• Sharing needles or using contaminated needles.
• Transmission of the disease from mother to fetus.
• Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person.

The incidence of the disease also increases when one of the risk factors is present, including the following:

• The incidence of infection increases in people who had blood transfusions before 1992 AD.
• Received an organ transplant from an infected person.
• Received dialysis treatment for a long period of time.
• If the person has a sexual partner who has hepatitis C.
• Use previously used needles.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C

Diagnosing hepatitis is important because symptoms do not appear on most of those infected with it until after the symptoms and disease develop on the person, and then the liver has been exposed to a lot of damage that can not be treated, so it is recommended early examination when symptoms appear on the person, and The doctor will perform physical and other examinations to ensure the patient’s condition, and these examinations include the following:

• Blood tests: There are two results of a blood test. Either the test is negative, which indicates that there is no protein that the body produces in response to infection with the virus, and this means that the person is not infected, but in the second case, the result is positive, which indicates that the person has been exposed to hepatitis C and not necessarily to be afflicted with it.
• Blood tests after the positive result of the first test: The virus DNA is searched for in the blood to confirm its presence, and the doctor may give drugs to treat hepatitis until the results of the second examination appear to the patient.
• Imaging: MRI and CT scans are used to confirm the extent of damage to the liver or the presence of liver cancer that resulted from hepatitis C infection.
• Biopsy: In many cases, a biopsy may be the most accurate examination in determining the amount of damage caused by taking a sample of liver tissue.

How to treat hepatitis C

Doctors usually prescribe treatment after the appearance of a positive blood test that indicates the presence of proteins secreted by the body in response to the virus, and the results of the test for the presence of the DNA of the virus in the blood are rarely expected. Among the treatments that are given to the patient are the following:

• Antiviral drugs: These drugs are given over a period of twelve months, and aims to ensure that the virus is not present in the blood after this period of time. The patient's response to the drug is also monitored throughout the treatment period.
• New liver transplant: If the liver reaches a stage of irreparable damage, or it stops working completely, doctors resort to liver transplantation, and it must be noted that the liver transplant process does not reduce the risk of infection with the virus again, so anti-viral drugs are used. Viruses after the operation.
• Vaccination: There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, however, doctors recommend vaccination against hepatitis A and B.

Hepatitis C prevention

Hepatitis C can be prevented by avoiding contact with the blood of other people and taking caution at times that require handling needles and others. Here are some tips to prevent hepatitis:

• Do not use or stop using illegal drugs, especially those that are taken by injection.
• Take care when body piercing or tattooing.
• Have safe sex by using a condom and other methods that reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Source  sotor