The first thing that will be recommended is the lifestyle changes. These include no more alcohol, stop smoking, eating healthy which includes more fruits and vegetables in the diet and lots of fluids, start a light exercise program and get plenty of sleep.

One of the reasons for delaying treatment is that many doctors are concerned about the side effects of the drug therapy. They feel that if the patient is in the early stages of Hepatitis C that this therapy is unnecessary until they begin having symptoms. Other doctors will tell their patients that this is the perfect time to start the drug therapy while they are not symptomatic and so their bodies are stronger and more able to stand the rigors of the therapy. They want their patients to beat the Hepatitis C when it is first discovered. Other health care providers feel that with new drugs on the horizon, expected in the next four years, that are supposed to be easier on the patient its better to wait.

Sometimes doctors feel that the treatment may be as potentially dangerous as the illness. This can be true for patients who already have serious medical issues to deal with. This includes those who have cancer, not related to their livers, heart disease, and kidney failure or lung disease. Patients who are in their seventies or older are almost always not treated. If the disease is discovered that late then it is not likely to be life threatening to the patient since it can take ten to forty years for serious liver damage to occur.

If during this period of monitoring the patient’s viral load, the mount of the virus that can be detected in the person’s blood, rises, then there is no alternative but to begin treatment. The health care provider will check the liver, by means of a biopsy or x-ray to determine if its showing signs of swelling, scarring or dysfunction. If treatment must begin, and you are even a social drinker, you must not have had any alcohol for at least six months before the drug therapy can start. You must also agree that you and your partner, if you are in a steady relationship, will both use birth control during treatment and for six months after as the drugs can cause birth defects.

There are three types of Hepatitis, A, B and C. The Hepatitis C virus is a liver disease that causes inflammation; in fact the word Hepatitis is the Latin word for inflammation.

Most medical experts believe we are suffering from an epidemic of Hepatitis C. The problem with Hepatitis C is that a patient can be infected for decades before the virus is discovered, meaning someone infected with Hepatitis C can pass the virus on to others without knowledge.

Symptoms of type C Hepatitis

It takes one to six months for the virus to pass through its incubation period before symptoms may appear. Only one in ten patients actually has symptoms or signs that they could be infected, the other nine do not have any symptoms at all.

The symptom found most common in patients infected with Hepatitis C is fatigue; usually the initial diagnosis is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the diagnosis of Hepatitis C is normally found later on.

Early symptoms include

* Aching muscles and joints
* Nausea and/or vomiting
* Loss of appetite or poor appetite
* Tiredness
* Aching or pressure under the right rib
* Intolerance of alcohol
* Weight loss
* Difficulty concentrating
* Dark Urine
* Light colored excrement
* Anxiety

In two thirds of cases Hepatitis C can last longer than 6 months, which is called Chronic Hepatitis C.

How is Hepatitis C contracted?

The origin of how a person contracted Hepatitis C in half of all cases is never found.

About thirty-five percent of infections are transmitted by blood-to-blood contact; this is normally through sharing needles while using recreational drugs.

Although rare, a small proportion of infections are contracted by

* Non-sterile body piercing and tattoo equipment
* Sexual intercourse
* Swapping bodily fluids like saliva
* Sharing toothbrushes or razors
* Blood transfusions in countries where screening for Hepatitis C is not carried out

Treating Hepatitis C

If the infection is found in time, before it evolves into chronic Hepatitis C, the infection can be treated by regular visits to the doctor and following the doctors advice of changing your diet, regular exercise and not drinking alcohol.

Drug therapy is needed for those who suffer with chronic Hepatitis C. There are two drugs that are normally combined to form treatment for long-term sufferers, Interferon and Ribavirin, which are antiviral drugs.

Those who take a full course of Interferon and Ribavirin (usually 6 months to a year) have a 55% chance of sustained improvement. There are negative affects to Interferon and Ribavirin; they can be so severe that patients find them intolerable. The negative effects are body aches, fatigue, hair loss, mood swings, depression, and blood conditions among others.

Summary

Should you feel that you have any of the symptoms named above than it may be beneficial to consult your doctor, as early detection is more likely to give you a better chance of coping with it and possibly receiving treatment to prevent further damage.
If you are found to suffer with Hepatitis C it can be a trying time, with support from your doctor you can lead a normal life.

Interferon is the most commonly, and best, used drug to fight the Hepatitis C virus. A recent study was conducted to compare success rates amongst various racial groups. The tests were done after the patients had completed their first round of treatment. In the study group the viral loads became negative, that means there was no longer enough virus in the blood to be detectable, in forty percent of Asian patients, thirty three percent of Caucasian patients, twenty eight percent of the Hispanic patients but only a mere five percent of the African American patients. Doctors and scientists alike do not understand this huge discrepancy. Another study showed that Natives of Alaska had a forty five percent success rate. That leaves open a big question; why do African Americans fair so poorly when it comes their reaction to the drug therapy for the Hepatitis C virus?

Of the nearly four million people in the Untied States who are infected with the Hepatitis C virus eight hundred and eight thousand are African Americans. That is twenty two percent of those diagnosed. Of those more are men. They are more likely to be infected with type one, which is the more common amongst all populations. It is also the hardest to treat. But, for reasons that are still being studied they are much more resistant to the treatments currently being used. African Americans get very little benefits from an Interferon therapy program. They must use both Interferon and Ribavirin in conjunction with one another for treatments to be of benefit. They are also more likely to contract cancer of the liver then their non-African American counterparts.

In another study, which matched carefully the doses of all participants to be certain there were no discrepancies, it had similar results. Twenty six percent of the African American patients showed a decrease in viral loads as opposed to the thirty nine percent of the Caucasians who showed improvement. Then they looked at studies where fifty two percent of Caucasians improved with only nineteen percent of the African Americans having lower viral loads. The researchers compared everything from weight, age and other medical conditions but they still have no answers to this continuing discrepancy.

Some researchers believe that at this point the treatment should be discounted. If the results are not great why should treatment continue? Others say that if the results are poor it is still a better idea to do a second round of drug therapy to try to give the patient the best possible opportunity for improved health.

The reason that drug users, the ones who inject their favorite illicit drug, can contract the Hepatitis C infection so easily is because many of them share needles or other drug taking equipment with their fellow drug abusers. As needles are slipped under the skin, into the blood, sharing needles heightens the risk that the person you are about to get stoned with is themselves infected, maybe not even knowing it, and so the blood to blood connection is established and the drug user becomes infected without realizing that there was even a risk.

Drug programs may be the answer to controlling this method of infection. There are two main types of programs that may have some success. Both are practiced in different parts of the world, at least one, the rehabilitation program, is readily available to Americans. The other, needle swapping, is slowing filtering through the United States with good results.

The rehabilitation program is just what it sounds like. It’s a method that attempts to wean addicts from the illicit drugs they use, including those drug users who inject the illegal drugs, and at the same time as provide consistent medical care. Sadly it’s often during this time, when the drug user is trying to stop their unfortunate habit, that the Hepatitis C virus is discovered. This does not mean that the program should be discontinued. Getting someone to stop a drug habit is an important step to giving them back their lives. The discovery of the virus means that the patient will need to learn to what should be done to keep their health good.

The second program, commonly known in many places as SEPs, syringe exchange programs, is having some definite success. Those against such programs felt it would only increase the number of users by encouraging injection drug users because of the assumed acceptance of their habit. But this has proven to be wrong. The programs do not support or promote drug use. Instead they allow drug addicts to bring in their dirty or used needles to exchange for sterile needles. Studies have shown that this is a program with a positive outcome not only in working to control the spread of Hepatitis C but also HIV.

When it comes to treating acute Hepatitis C, there are standards set in place that doctors most often employ in order to help patients to overcome the problem as quickly and easily as possible. These standards rely heavily on the usage of two different drugs in order to help the patient to make a full recovery. The first agent necessary in combating acute Hepatitis C is known as interferon alpha. Normally secreted within the body by both B-cells and T-cells, interferon alpha is a type of antiviral agent that can help to ward off the Hepatitis C virus. The regular usage of interferon alpha in those with Hepatitis C often results in the patient having better blood test results. Also, those who undergo interferon alpha therapy regularly to treat their Hepatitis C condition usually are known to have better results when it comes to liver biopsies that can show how far the disease has progressed. While Hepatitis C patients who used interferon alpha in their treatment regimen used to have to inject themselves three times per week in order to get the desired results, a new type of the interferon has been created which can help to aid this process. Known as pegylated interferon alpha, this newly approved type of medication allows a Hepatitis C patient to only undergo one injection per week while still achieving the same results.

The other drug that is used most often when treating Hepatitis C is an antiviral agent that is known as Ribavirin. This drug is sold under several different trade names, including Copegus, Rebetol, and Ribasphere. Unlike interferon alpha, which needs to be injected to work properly, Ribavirin is often brought into the body via the means of an orally consumed capsule. It’s a synthetically formed agent which was created in the 1970s, originally intended to help fight influenza. The compound is of much efficiency when it comes to fighting Hepatitis C, but you should be cautioned that it may worsen any already-present cases of cardiac disease.

These two treatments are paramount to overcoming a problem with Hepatitis C. While not everyone can successfully eliminate the disease from their bodies, well over fifty percent of all cases of Hepatitis C can be effectively cured through these types of treatments when taken in tandem. Before beginning any medication regimen, it’s important to speak to your doctor, letting them know about any preexisting health conditions that may be worsened by the medication.

The type of liver that is used in the transplant is one of the factors that can influence how quickly the cirrhosis returns. If the liver transplant is done with a living donor that greatly influences the return of the disease. A living donor liver transplant is one in which a proper match is made with someone still living, often a close relative, and then only a piece of the donor’s liver is taken and transplanted. This can be done because the liver is the only human organ that can regenerate itself. The other alternative is for the more common cadeveric organ transplants where the organ comes from someone who has passed away and their organs are donated by family or because they have an organ donor card.

There are theories, but so far they are only theories, on the reason for these differences. Some studies have shown that the drug therapies affect the organs differently. Others claim it might be the directly related to the health of the living relative who donated the organ or the age and race of the both transplant recipient and the donor. The overall health of the recipient is always a factor.

Since there is strong proof that the living donor liver transplants do not have as good long-term results this procedure has sparked a controversy in the medical community. The concerns are that this major surgical procedure seems to give only a year or two of good health. Although a study conducted on patients who had received a living donor liver transplant found them to overall be younger, thinner, not in ICU at the time of transplant and more likely to have lesser end stage symptoms, they still found that they were forty four percent more likely to run the risk of transplant failure than those who had a transplant from someone who had passed away. This difference continues to be researched.

These findings have stirred up the medical community. Transplanted organs are not readily available and the surgeons do not want to see the necessity of a person going through more than one transplant in their lifetime. With the strong scientific evidence that Hepatitis C will frequently reoccur within five years of a transplant the medical community are trying to rationalize whether HCV sufferers are the best candidates to have liver transplants. While the sufferers are reassuring them they are.

The job of the interferons is to make the patient’s immune system tougher, more capable of fighting the Hepatitis C virus. Interferon is also known for its success with other diseases like leukemia and Kaposi’s sarcoma, which is an AIDS related cancer. It is also showing promising results with several other viral diseases that it is currently being tested with along with eighteen cancers that studies are still underway with. The only real drawback to this double whammy treatment is the side effects.

These side effects can make life very difficult. They can come as quite a shock to someone who is hoping that the intensive drug therapy program will help them. When they are then hit with any number of unpleasant side effects they are frequently thrown for a loop. Before beginning the drug therapy it would be a good idea to make sure that you can take some time off work and have people you can count on, a support system of friends and family, to help you out. Its possible that even the most mundane daily chores will require you to have a little help.

It’s a good idea to try and change your work routine when you begin treatment. Try to get the time off. If you can’t get holiday time see if there is a medical leave you can use. If this is also not possible try to at least reduce your hours, a compassionate employer will try to help. When taking your medication, see if you can do so shortly before you go to sleep. This tends to allow you to spend less time feeling ill. Especially since most of the worst of the side effects occur in the first four to six hours after treatment.

Your body requires a lot of liquid intake during the treatment period. Make sure that what you are drinking is not alcoholic and without caffeine. Clear fruit juices and water are necessary right before and after the injections as it helps diminish the side effects. Another method to help the discomfort is to take an over the counter pain reliever. This must not be Tylenol as it can aggravate the hepatitis more then help it. Some people find that taking the pain reliever before the injection works well to keep the pain under control while others find its better to take it shortly after the injection. Either way pain management is the key to making it through this very important treatment period.

Unlike many illnesses where the person who is unwell gets lots of sympathy, when people hear that you have Hepatitis C the first thing they seem to think is where did you get it and can they catch it. It is more uncomfortable to go to your boss, when treatment is about to start and ask for time off, or at least a lesser workload when you have to explain why you are asking. The problem is that too many people think that Hepatitis C comes only from dirty or shared syringes. Then so many people who think they are experts on the causes of hepatitis automatically decide that you must have some secret drug habit that you are now paying for by have contracted hepatitis. Others think that promiscuity is the reason for the spread of the Hepatitis C virus. But since this infection is spread only through blood-to-blood transmission that is very unlikely.

Then when you try to explain the way you contracted the infection they make you feel like your telling them a story as they smile knowingly, nodding their heads in agreement when their eyes say something completely different. They’ll whisper amongst themselves. Telling the people you work with that they suspected for years that you had a drug habit. Work can become an uncomfortable place to be.

This stigma that is associated with having Hepatitis C can also make getting treatment very difficult. People are reluctant to go to see even their long time health care provider, fearing that they too will think lesser of them because of the infection they now carry. They are told by their physicians that perhaps they made some wrong choices and will now have to take better care of themselves if the treatments are going to be successful. Even when you can show them that the Hepatitis C has its origins in a blood transfusion received before the changes that were made in 1992, there still remains that underlying feeling.

The stigma of this disease means that people try their best to keep the information of their illness only among those who are closest to them. The problem is that even friends and co-workers when they hear the explanation of the origins of this disease still feel spooked by someone who has Hepatitis C.

It is estimated that there are over 170 million sufferers in the world, yet many people don’t even know they have it, so why is there no real battle to supply information on this virus to patients?

As Hepatitis C has been classed as an epidemic and a public health risk there should be more information available for the general public to understand what Hepatitis C is and how they can try to protect themselves from this silent virus.

Hepatitis C is growing at an alarming rate, reports show that between 35,000 and 185,000 people are diagnosed with the virus every year in the United States alone.

Why is Hepatitis known as a silent virus

One of he major problems with combating Hepatitis C is the fact that it doesn’t show any symptoms in eight out of ten patients and most of those who find they are suffering with Hepatitis C have been infected for long periods of time.

What effects can Hepatitis C have on my body

Most people who have Hepatitis C will have liver inflammation; this can also lead to more dangerous conditions like Cirrhosis and liver cancer.

On a more day-to-day level Hepatitis C has affects that make a patient have fatigue, joint pains.

Hepatitis has also been known to cause impaired cognitive skills like loss of memory and problems concentrating. The cognitive problems can be so severe that patients cannot express themselves verbally very well and have problems understanding questions unless they are clearly written in an easy to understand manner.

How can I treat Hepatitis C?

Before treatment of Hepatitis C medical experts will tell a patient that vaccination against Hepatitis A and B is the best course of action.

The best treatment for Hepatitis C available today is a combination of two drugs, Interferon and Ribavirin. These drugs are normally taken for six to 12 months and will alleviate the viral affects of Hepatitis.

During the course of the treatment patients do require a lot of support as the side affects can be quite strong, some people have report nausea, anemia or even psychiatric problems giving them suicidal thoughts.

The road ahead

If the health care systems in countries around the world do not work on the future management and treatment of this epidemic there could be disastrous consequences. Liver services in most countries are already becoming stretched from this virus and if the amount of people infected keeps rising then people will find they are not going to get the treatment they need to manage this condition.

We all want to enjoy our lives to the full and most of us believe that our health is one of the most important factors in our life. The next time you visit your doctor don’t forget to ask about Hepatitis C and what you can do to prevent getting infection.

You can easily contract Hepatitis C sexually

Hepatitis C can be passed sexually but this is very rare. As Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus it can only be transmitted by blood-to-blood contact during sexual intercourse, you cannot catch Hepatitis C from semen or vaginal fluid.

Everyone needs psychiatric help from Interferon the Hepatitis C treatment

Some people do suffer with psychiatric problems from taking Interferon but this is a small percentage, it is not something most people taking the drug have as sides affect.

Everyone with Hepatitis C dies

Nothing could be further from the truth; Hepatitis C affects people in different ways and progresses at different levels. Many people can live for decades without even knowing they are infected before being diagnosed.

Nearly all sufferers suffer depression

While a lot of people suffering with Hepatitis C can suffer with depression it does not affect all who are diagnosed. There is a lot of counseling offered to those who have Hepatitis C to alleviate the stress and depression having this virus can cause, many people that have been diagnosed also get a lot support from their family which can also help.

Hepatitis C stops your life and you have to put everything on hold

It is true that your lifestyle may have to change a lot but this doesn’t stop you living your life to it’s full potential. If you manage the infection then you don’t let it control you, once you let Hepatitis C control you then it can take hold.

I can get pregnant even if I am on treatment

Man or woman you should not reproduce while on Interferon or Ribavirin, the manufacturers state that both drugs can cause birth defects and even miscarriages. If you are taking either treatment, for the course of the treatment and for six months after you should use condoms.

If I stay fit the affects of Hepatitis wont get me

Unfortunately this is not true, the affects are different for each patient, and it is true those who take drugs and drink alcohol do normally feel stronger affects than those who don’t.

If you were to keep yourself fit it may help in some ways but it cannot guarantee the progression of the infection, although it is advised to abstain away from alcohol.

Summary

I hope you find this information useful and it has dispelled any fears you may have had. The last thing you want to find if you are infected is information that is unclear and incorrect. Finding information that is not right can affect you even more than not having any information as it can fill you with dread at prospects that are unfounded.