Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C Info You Need

People seem to have the incorrect hepatitis C info and believe that it is a disease only found among drug users. This is absolutely false. Most of the public don't know the real facts about hepatitis C and therefore are at risk of contracting the disease. When this happens, serious conditions like liver inflammation and acute liver failure can occur. In this article, we'll explain how the hepatitis C virus is transmitted and how it can affect the body.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a chronic liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus. HCV causes liver inflammation and can progress to cirrhosis or extensive scarring, which can lead to abnormal liver conditions that can be life threatening. People with chronic hepatitis C may not have symptoms for decades and according to hepatitis C info, approximately 35% of those who have chronic hepatitis C do not know that they are infected.

Hepatitis C is known to be spread through infected blood, blood products, needles and sexual contact. Prior to the late 1980s, people were most at risk for contracting the disease through blood transfusions. However, a blood test was developed at that time to detect the virus, and the blood supply is now always tested to prevent the spread of the disease in this way. Nowadays, the people most at risk for getting hepatitis C are drug users who share needles. There are also a larger number of cases among east Asians. In about 40% of all cases of hepatitis C, it is unknown how the patient was infected with the virus. This situation is known as a community acquired disease.

Most patients with hepatitis C do not have symptoms. If there are symptoms, they are similar to the symptoms of liver disease. These include nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, stomach pain, extreme fatigue, and yellowing of the skin and eyes, which is known as jaundice. It can take from 2 to 26 weeks for the disease to develop once the patient is infected with HCV. This is a cause for concern because it is possible for them to have the disease for some time before it is diagnosed. If cirrhosis, which is liver scarring, has developed, then other more serious symptoms may occur. A liver biopsy is almost always required to determine how serious the disease may be. It is believed that about 20% of the patients with chronic hepatitis C will develop cirrhosis, and a few of those will go on to develop liver cancer. It may take from 10 to 40 years for serious liver damage to occur.

Largest STD Dating Service - free STD ads, h. message boards, international search and instant messenger for those who living with Herpes, HIV/AIDS, Thrush or other STDs.

It's critical that patients speak with their doctor to get accurate hepatitis C info. For example, some drugs such as acetaminophen can worsen liver damage in HCV. Of course, a healthy diet is always important. The patient will also want to discuss vaccination against hepatitis viruses A and B. If a person with HCV becomes infected with either of these other viruses, the outcome could be quite severe. It is possible to lead a healthy life with hepatitis C but you must be willing to make the appropriate lifestyle changes.

   The Journey Through End Stage Liver Disease