How Do You Know if You Have Acute Hep C

In this section:

• What is hepatitis C?
• How common is hepatitis C in the U.s.?
• Who is more likely to get hepatitis C?
• Should I be screened for hepatitis C?
• What are the complications of hepatitis C?
• What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
• What causes hepatitis C?
• How do doctors diagnose hepatitis C?
• What tests practise doctors employ to diagnose hepatitis C?
• How practise doctors treat hepatitis C?
• How do doctors treat the complications of hepatitis C?
• How can I protect myself from hepatitis C infection?
• How tin I prevent spreading hepatitis C to others?
• Is a hepatitis C vaccine available?
• What should I eat and drink if I have hepatitis C?

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation and damage. Inflammation is swelling that occurs when tissues of the trunk become injured or infected. Inflammation can damage organs.

Viruses invade normal cells in your body. Many viruses cause infections that tin be spread from person to person. The hepatitis C virus spreads through contact with an infected person's blood.

Hepatitis C tin can cause an astute or chronic infection.

Although no vaccine for hepatitis C is available, you can take steps to protect yourself from hepatitis C. If you have hepatitis C, talk with your doctor nearly treatment. Medicines tin can cure about cases of hepatitis C.

Astute hepatitis C

Acute hepatitis C is a curt-term infection. Symptoms can terminal up to 6 months. Sometimes your body is able to fight off the infection and the virus goes abroad.

Chronic hepatitis C

Chronic hepatitis C is a long-lasting infection. Chronic hepatitis C occurs when your body isn't able to fight off the virus. About 75 to 85 percent of people with astute hepatitis C will develop chronic hepatitis C.^xiii

Early diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis C tin can forestall liver damage. Without handling, chronic hepatitis C can cause chronic liver affliction, cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.

How common is hepatitis C in the United States?

In the United States, hepatitis C is the most common chronic viral infection found in claret and spread through contact with blood.¹⁴

Researchers estimate that about 2.seven million to 3.9 meg people in the United States accept chronic hepatitis C.¹³ Many people who accept hepatitis C don't have symptoms and don't know they have this infection.

Since 2006, the number of new hepatitis C infections has been rising, especially among people younger than age 30 who inject heroin or misuse prescription opioids and inject them.^xv,16

New screening efforts and more effective hepatitis C treatments are helping doctors identify and cure more people with the disease. With more screening and treatment, hepatitis C may become less common in the future. Researchers estimate that hepatitis C could be a rare affliction in the United States by 2036.¹⁷

Who is more likely to get hepatitis C?

People more than likely to go hepatitis C are those who

• have injected drugs
• had a blood transfusion or organ transplant earlier July 1992
• have hemophilia and received clotting factor earlier 1987
• accept been on kidney dialysis
• have been in contact with claret or infected needles at work
• have had tattoos or body piercings
• take worked or lived in a prison
• were born to a mother with hepatitis C
• are infected with HIV
• have had more than than one sex partner in the final 6 months or have a history of sexually transmitted affliction
• are men who take or had sexual practice with men

In the Usa, injecting drugs is the well-nigh mutual way that people become hepatitis C.¹³

Should I be screened for hepatitis C?

Doctors normally recommend i-fourth dimension screening of all adults ages 18 to 79 for hepatitis C. Screening is testing for a illness in people who have no symptoms. Doctors utilise claret tests to screen for hepatitis C. Many people who have hepatitis C don't have symptoms and don't know they have hepatitis C. Screening tests can help doctors diagnose and care for hepatitis C before it causes serious health problems.

Doctors usually recommend one-time screening of all adults ages 18 to 79 for hepatitis C.

What are the complications of hepatitis C?

Without treatment, hepatitis C may pb to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C can prevent these complications.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a status in which the liver slowly breaks downwardly and is unable to office normally. Scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue and partially blocks the flow of blood through the liver. In the early stages of cirrhosis, the liver continues to function. Still, as cirrhosis gets worse, the liver begins to fail.

Liver failure

Also chosen end-stage liver disease, liver failure progresses over months, years, or even decades. With end-stage liver disease, the liver tin no longer perform of import functions or replace damaged cells.

Liver cancer

Having chronic hepatitis C increases your chance of developing liver cancer. If chronic hepatitis C causes severe liver damage or cirrhosis earlier yous receive hepatitis C treatment, you will continue to have an increased chance of liver cancer even after treatment. Your physician may suggest blood tests and an ultrasound or another type of imaging examination to cheque for liver cancer. Finding cancer at an early on stage improves the chance of curing the cancer.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?

Virtually people infected with hepatitis C take no symptoms. Some people with an astute hepatitis C infection may have symptoms within one to 3 months later on they are exposed to the virus. These symptoms may include

• dark yellow urine
• feeling tired
• fever
• gray- or clay-colored stools
• joint pain
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• pain in your abdomen
• vomiting
• yellowish eyes and skin, called jaundice

If you accept chronic hepatitis C, you most likely will accept no symptoms until complications develop, which could exist decades after you were infected. For this reason, hepatitis C screening is of import, even if you lot have no symptoms.

What causes hepatitis C?

The hepatitis C virus causes hepatitis C. The hepatitis C virus spreads through contact with an infected person's blood. Contact tin can occur by

• sharing drug needles or other drug materials with an infected person
• getting an accidental stick with a needle that was used on an infected person
• being tattooed or pierced with tools or inks that were not kept sterile—free from all viruses and other microorganisms—and were used on an infected person before they were used on you
• having contact with the blood or open up sores of an infected person
• using an infected person's razor, toothbrush, or nail clippers
• beingness built-in to a mother with hepatitis C
• having unprotected sex activity with an infected person

You can't get hepatitis C from

• being coughed or sneezed on by an infected person
• drinking h2o or eating food
• hugging an infected person
• shaking hands or holding hands with an infected person
• sharing spoons, forks, and other eating utensils
• sitting next to an infected person

A baby can't become hepatitis C from breast milk.¹⁸

How do doctors diagnose hepatitis C?

Doctors diagnose hepatitis C based on your medical history, a physical examination, and claret tests. If you have hepatitis C, your doc may perform additional tests to cheque your liver.

Medical history

Your md will enquire nearly your symptoms and whether you accept any history of claret transfusions or injected drug utilize.

Concrete examination

During a physical test, your doc will typically examine your body to check for signs of liver damage such as

• changes in skin color
• swelling in your lower legs, feet, or ankles
• tenderness or swelling in your abdomen

What tests do doctors apply to diagnose hepatitis C?

Doctors use claret tests to diagnose hepatitis C. Your physician may social club additional tests to bank check for liver impairment, find out how much liver damage you lot have, or rule out other causes of liver disease.

Blood tests

Your doctor may order one or more blood tests to diagnose hepatitis C. A health care professional will take a blood sample from you and send the sample to a lab.

Claret tests for hepatitis C include the following:

• Screening test for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. A screening blood test will evidence whether you accept adult antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. A positive antibody test means you lot were exposed to the hepatitis C virus at some point. However, the virus may no longer be present in your claret if your trunk fought off the infection on its own or if you received handling that cured the infection.
• Hepatitis C RNA test. If your antibody test is positive, your doctor will use a hepatitis C RNA exam to detect RNA—a type of genetic material—from the hepatitis C virus. The hepatitis C RNA exam can show whether you nevertheless take the hepatitis C virus and how much virus is in your blood. This information tin help your doctor treat the infection. To see if you are responding to handling, your doctor may order this exam while you are undergoing treatment to notice out if the amount of virus in your blood is changing.
• Genotype test. Your dr. tin can apply this test to find out what strain, or form, of hepatitis C virus you have. At to the lowest degree half-dozen specific strains—called genotypes—of hepatitis C be. Genotype 1 is the most common hepatitis C genotype in the U.s.a..¹ Your md will recommend handling based on which hepatitis C genotype you have.

Your physician may society one or more than claret tests to diagnose hepatitis C.

Boosted tests

If you've had chronic hepatitis C for a long time, yous could accept liver impairment. Your doctor may recommend boosted tests to find out whether you take liver damage, how much liver damage you have, or to rule out other causes of liver disease. These tests may include

• blood tests
• transient elastography, a special ultrasound of your liver
• liver biopsy, in which a medico uses a needle to have a small slice of tissue from your liver

Doctors typically use liver biopsy only if other tests don't provide enough data about a person's liver impairment or disease. Talk with your dr. about which tests are all-time for you.

How do doctors treat hepatitis C?

Doctors treat hepatitis C with antiviral medicines that attack the virus and can cure the illness in nearly cases.

Several newer medicines, called straight-acting antiviral medicines, have been approved to treat hepatitis C since 2013. Studies testify that these medicines can cure chronic hepatitis C in most people with this affliction. These medicines can also cure acute hepatitis C. In some cases, doctors recommend waiting to see if an astute infection becomes chronic before starting treatment.

Your doctor may prescribe one or more than of these newer, direct-acting antiviral medicines to care for hepatitis C:

• daclatasvir (Daklinza)
• elbasvir/grazoprevir (Zepatier)
• glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (Mavyret)
• ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (Harvoni)
• ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir (Technivie)
• ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir/dasabuvir (Viekira Pak, Viekira XR)
• simeprevir (Olysio)
• sofosbuvir (Sovaldi)
• sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (Epclusa)
• sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (Vosevi)

Newer medicines are sometimes used along with these older hepatitis C medicines:

• ribavirin
• peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys) or peginterferon alfa-2b (PEG-Intron)

Doctors treat hepatitis C with antiviral medicines that attack the virus.

Y'all may need to take medicines for 8 to 24 weeks to cure hepatitis C. Your doctor will prescribe medicines and recommend a length of treatment based on

• which hepatitis C genotype you take
• how much liver damage you take
• whether you have been treated for hepatitis C in the past

Your doctor may society blood tests during and subsequently your treatment. Blood tests tin can show whether the treatment is working. Hepatitis C medicines cure the infection in nigh people who complete treatment.

Hepatitis C medicines may cause side effects. Talk with your dr. about the side effects of handling. Check with your physician before taking any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

For safe reasons, talk with your physician earlier using dietary supplements, such as vitamins, or any complementary or alternative medicines or medical practices.

Cost of hepatitis C medicines

The newer direct-acting antiviral medicines for hepatitis C tin can be plush. Most government and individual health insurance prescription drug plans provide some coverage for these medicines. Talk with your medico most your health insurance coverage for hepatitis C medicines.

Drug companies, nonprofit organizations, and some states offer programs that tin help pay for hepatitis C medicines. If y'all demand help paying for medicines, talk with your doctor. Learn more well-nigh financial assist for hepatitis C medicines.

How do doctors treat the complications of hepatitis C?

If hepatitis C leads to cirrhosis, you should run across a doctor who specializes in liver diseases. Doctors can care for the health problems related to cirrhosis with medicines, surgery, and other medical procedures. If you accept cirrhosis, you accept an increased take a chance of liver cancer. Your physician may order an ultrasound test to check for liver cancer.

If hepatitis C leads to liver failure or liver cancer, yous may need a liver transplant.

How can I protect myself from hepatitis C infection?

If you lot don't have hepatitis C, you can assistance protect yourself from hepatitis C infection by

• not sharing drug needles or other drug materials
• wearing gloves if you have to touch another person'due south blood or open sores
• making sure your tattoo creative person or body piercer uses sterile tools and unopened ink
• non sharing personal items such toothbrushes, razors, or nail clippers

Hepatitis C can spread from person to person during sex, but the chances are low. People who have multiple sex partners, have HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, or who appoint in rough or anal sex accept a college adventure of getting hepatitis C. Talk with your doctor most your risk of getting hepatitis C through sex and most condom sex practices, such as using a latex or polyurethane safe to aid forestall the spread of hepatitis C.

Do not share drug needles or other drug materials.

If you had hepatitis C in the past and your torso fought off the infection or medicines cured the infection, you can get hepatitis C once more. Follow the steps higher up, and talk with your dr. about how to protect yourself from another hepatitis C infection.

If you recollect you may take been exposed to the hepatitis C virus, see your doctor as soon equally possible. Early on diagnosis and handling can assist foreclose liver damage.

How tin I prevent spreading hepatitis C to others?

If yous accept hepatitis C, follow the steps to a higher place to avoid spreading the infection. Tell your sex partner you have hepatitis C, and talk with your doc nearly safe sex practices. In add-on, you can protect others from infection past telling your doc, dentist, and other wellness care providers that you have hepatitis C. Don't donate blood or blood products, semen, organs, or tissue.

Is a hepatitis C vaccine bachelor?

Researchers are even so working on a vaccine for hepatitis C. If you lot have hepatitis C, talk with your doctor near vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. These vaccines can protect you from hepatitis A and hepatitis B infections, which could farther damage your liver.

What should I eat and drink if I have hepatitis C?

If y'all have hepatitis C, you should eat a balanced, healthy nutrition. Talk with your md well-nigh salubrious eating. Yous should also avoid alcohol because it tin cause more liver impairment.

References

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Source: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/liver-disease/viral-hepatitis/hepatitis-c

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