Healthcare & Health Insurance Resources

Hepatitis C

What is Hepatitis C ?

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). More than 80% of the people who are exposed to the virus are chronic carriers. General symptoms of Hepatitis C are fever, lack of energy, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort and jaundice (yellow color to the whites of the eyes or skin and darkening of urine). But it has seen that many people having Hepatitis C without any symptoms, so people do not know they are infected unless their blood is tested.

Causes of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is caused by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) which can spreads by blood transfusion or through blood. There is more than 80% chance of getting Hepatitis C if using same syringe infected with hepatitis C. Also it can spread when healthcare workers are exposed to an HCV infected person’s blood. Hepatitis C infected mothers can pass the virus to their babies, but this occurs at a low rate. Sexual transmission also appears to be low in spreading Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C doesn’t spread by sneezing, coughing, hugging, sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses, or other casual contact. It is not spread by food or water.

Symptoms of Hepatitis C

Many people with hepatitis C have no symptoms. If symptoms occur, they do so an average of six to seven weeks after exposure but may occur two weeks to six months after exposure. Some common symptoms of this stage are: jaundice, muscle aches, headaches , irritability, myalgia, arthralgia, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, fever, and other flulike manifestations.

In the chronic form of Hepatitis C the effects are usually mild and sometime without any symptoms. But many patients have fatigue, poor stamina and an inability to concentrate.

In the later stages of Hepatitis C, body resistance is affected. Albumin levels in body may decrease, which will lead to a decrease in clotting ability. Albumin is a water soluble, heat-coagulable protein. Liver is becoming less able to make its usual quota of substances the body needs. Also it can cause an enlargement of the spleen, which can then cause a decrease in platelet.

Diagnosis of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C diagnostic tests are used to prevent infection through testing of donor’s blood and plasma. Hepatitis C is diagnosed in two steps using blood tests. The first step is called ELISA (Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) to antibody against hepatitis C. Antibodies are cells which is formed when your body is infected by something that it does not recognize. Antibodies confirm that virus has been in the blood, but they can’t confirm that the virus is still there. It can take several weeks to develop hepatitis C antibody after getting infected by Hepatitis C virus. A negative ELISA should be repeated in 3 months if the person has had an exposure.

Recombinant Immunoblot Assay (RIBA) is a test used to identify the antibodies which react with individual Hepatitis C antigens is used as a supplemental test to confirm ELISA (Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) test.

Treatment of Hepatitis C

There are no specific treatments for the symptoms of Hepatitis C. Generally doctors suggest adequate bed rest, preventing dehydration, having healthy food and not taking alcohol. Most people with early to later stages of Hepatitis C feel better in three to four weeks and get well completely from their Hepatitis C symptoms within six to eight weeks.

Often synthetic protein interferon is used to treat some patient with chronic hepatitis C. This is helpful to improve liver function in some people with hepatitis C and minimizing symptoms, although it may cause side effects like headache and fever etc. Sometimes this drug is used in combination with another drug, Ribavirin. This treatment is effective in 30 percent to 40 percent of Hepatitis C patients.

Many chronic Hepatitis C carriers remain symptom free or having a mild condition, chronic persistent hepatitis. But approximately 50 percent of chronic hepatitis C patients develop the most serious complications of viral hepatitis: cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.

Alternative Treatment for Hepatitis C

Alternative treatments are used with conventional medicine to treat many illnesses, including hepatitis C and the side effects of treatment. Alternative treatments attempts to use the body’s natural self-healing abilities to bring the body back into balance. Following is a short description of some Alternative treatments.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment, and has been practiced for over 3,000 years. It is used to stimulate the immune system and may strengthen your body’s ability to fight the virus. Different mental and physical problem may be reduced by acupuncture treatment.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is provided by a trained therapist using his/her hands to manipulate muscles and soft tissues of the body to help reduce tension, stimulate or soothe the nervous system, improve blood circulation, and increase joint movement.

Yoga

Yoga is an ancient Indian workout that is based on the togetherness of body, mind, and spirit. Yoga is a gentle form of exercise that involves physical postures and breathing techniques.

Meditation



Most often than not elderly people suffer from sleep disorder which can be considerably reduced by aerobic exercises as proved by one study. With aerobic exercises elderly people get more sleep at night and they find themselves falling to sleep much faster than before. People suffering from coronary artery disease, diabetes and hypertension are also benefited from taking regular exercises. Every one of you should at least have thirty minutes of physical activity which you may take by moderate-intensity aerobic exercises, walking, gardening, cleaning your house or by climbing the stairs instead of using the elevator. You could also go for jogging, swimming, bicycling or play your favorite outdoor game. Joining a water aerobics class would also be beneficial to you.

At least once or twice a week strength exercises like lifting weights will prevent your muscle loss, strengthen your bones, knees and other joints. It will also help you to loose weight and lessen your arthritis pain and stiffness. With age flexibility of your joints decrease considerably due to inactivity or lack of movement of the joints, however a regular routine of stretching exercises decreases the possibility of joint injuries, muscle strains or sprains and keeps your joints flexible lifelong.

Before starting on a regular exercise routine elderly people should consult their doctors to avoid cardiac risks.