Cure For Hepatitis C

Cure For Hepatitis C

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CURE FOR HEPATITIS C

Before finding the Cure For Hepatitis C first we need to understand the causes of Hepatitis C.

What is Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a Viral infection caused by the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) that affects our liver. This viral infection causes inflammation in the tissue of the liver if left untreated can lead to serious liver damage due to the accumulation of fat in the liver.
The most common cause of this disease is a viral infection. However, this disease can also occur due to heavy alcohol intake, toxins accumulated in the liver, certain medications, autoimmune diseases, and other infectious diseases.100 Million worldwide are being affected by Hepatitis C.

Risk factors for Hepatitis C

This Hepatitis C virus can also lead to developing both Acute and Chronic infections. The disease is said to be acute if it lasts less than 6month and chronic if it lasts more than 6months. Chronic Hepatitis C is the major cause of Liver Cancer.80% of people exposed to this virus, will develop chronic Hepatitis C infection.

Types of Viral Hepatitis?

Viral Hepatitis is classified into FIVE different types because each of them shows different symptoms and requires different medical treatments.
There are five main types of  Viral Hepatitis:

 

Types of Hepatitis

 

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C
  • Hepatitis D
  • Hepatitis E

But here we are going to focus mainly on Hepatitis C



Stages of Hepatitis C

There are many stages in which the Hepatitis C virus affects people

  • Incubation Period

    It is the early preliminary stage. Start of the disease between the first exposer. Lasts for about 15 to 80 days on an average of 45 days.

  • Acute Hepatitis C

    Acute Hepatitis lasts less than six months after being infected.

  • Chronic Hepatitis C

    If our body is unable to fight the infection within 6months it’s called chronic. Which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer

  • Cirrhosis

    At this stage, the liver does not function properly due to long-term damage caused by the infection. This generally takes 20 to 25 years for this to happen. Cirrhosis due to Hepatitis C is a common reason for a liver transplant.

  • Liver Cancer

    It is also called  Hepatic Cancer. People suffering from Liver Cirrhosis are more prone to develop liver cancer.

 

Causes of Hepatitis C virus?

Hepatitis C virus is present primarily in the blood. The infection is spread by contact with contaminated blood. It is spread by :

Causes of Hepatitis C

  • Intravenous drug use

    Hepatitis C virus enters through the blood from a blood transfusion, sharing of needles.

  • Sexual Intercourse

    The transmission of the hepatitis C virus  may occur via sexual fluid exchange 

  • Health Care Exposer

    Hepatitis C virus can even enter your blood by Blood Transfusion, Organ transplant without HCV screening carries a significant risk of infection

  • Shared Personal Items

    Razors and other manicuring types of equipment can be contaminated with blood, therefore creating a possibility for the development of HCV.

  • Mother to Child Transmission

    This occurs in less than 10% of pregnancies.

  • Tattoo and Piercings

    Viruses can be transmitted via the sharing of needles, uncleaned tattoo needles.

 

Symptoms of Hepatitis C

 
Many people with Hepatitis C experience no symptoms as such, but between 2 weeks and 6months after the virus enters your bloodstream, you could notice:

Symptoms of Hepatitis C
  • Sudden nausea and Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain and discomfort especially near the upper right side beneath the lower ribs.
  • Clay-colored stool
  • Low-grade fever and joint pain
  • Loss of appetite 
  • Yellow of the skin even whites of the eyes
  • Itchy skin
  • Confusion and slurred speech
  • Fluid build up in your abdomen
  • Swelling of legs

Diagnosis of Hepatitis C?

Laboratory evaluation of Hepatitis C disease generally consists of liver enzyme tests, these include the levels of :
  • Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)
  • Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)
  • Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)
  • Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) as well as Liver Function Test (LFT) that include:
    • Total and direct serum bilirubin
    • Albumin levels
    • International Normalized Ratio

Top Four are actually the enzymes that are produced in response to liver damage so if that virus is causing chronic inflammation of the liver and the structure of the liver is changing and there’s some sort of liver failure these enzymes will be elevated in the blood the amount of bilirubin will also increase and this noticed by the yellowing of the skin. The albumin levels will decrease that is because of liver actually produces albumin which is a protein and if the liver is having difficulty in carrying out its normal function the production of these proteins will also drop. And the INR (International Normalised Ratio ) test measures and monitor how long it takes the blood to clot.

Antibody Detection

A blood test for an antibody for hepatitis C is the first way to check for the infection. Antibodies are produced in excess as a response to Hepatitis C Virus infection

Antigen Detection

In the Hepatitis C virus, RNA is detectable in serum or plasma as early as 1 week after exposure. This is a standard diagnosis of active Hepatitis C virus infection.
Another way to diagnose Hepatitis C is to evaluate the structure of the liver and for this Imaging and Staging studies are done by the use of Abdominal Ultrasound or Vibration Control Transient Elastography. (eg, FibroScan).
This device can tell us how far gone the disease is gone in terms of evolution.

Treatment For Hepatitis C

There is currently no effective vaccine against Hepatitis C. In Acute infection, treatment with antiviral medicine usually isn’t needed, because most people don’t know that they have the virus.

 Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C

  • Pegylated Interferon (Peg-IFN) Interferon is similar to a protein that our body makes to fight against infection. It is a long-acting form of interferon that is delivered by injection.

 

  • Ribavirin (RBV) is taken orally. Generally used in combination with interferon. Presently its often used with the combination of a newly approved drug. These medicines include:
    • NS3/4 targeting protease inhibitors: Boceprevir, Telaprevir, Simeprevir
    • NS5B targeting polymerase inhibitors: Nucleotide-Sofosbuvir and non-nucleotide-Dasabuvir
    • NS5A targeting agents: Ledipasvir, Daclatasvir, Ombitasvir

So Hepatitis C is Curable, so it’s important to seek treatment as early as possible if you are infected.

Hepatitis C Prevention

As there is no vaccine against Hepatitis C.Therefore prevention is highly dependent upon reducing the exposure to the virus. Here are some steps that you can take:
  • Sterilized, safe, and appropriate use of health care injections
  • Testing of donated blood for HCV and HBV
  • Use of condoms during sex
  • Using sterilized and clean needles during tattooing and piercing.

 

Cure For Hepatitis C

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