{"id":92,"date":"2021-08-18T07:34:08","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T07:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/hepatitis-c-how-does-it-occur-and-ways-to-manage-it\/"},"modified":"2021-08-18T07:34:08","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T07:34:08","slug":"hepatitis-c-how-does-it-occur-and-ways-to-manage-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/hepatitis-c-how-does-it-occur-and-ways-to-manage-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Hepatitis C- How does it occur and ways to manage it?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Hepatitis C<\/strong> is a viral disease caused by <strong>Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)<\/strong> which primarily affects the liver. It causes liver inflammation and sometimes serious liver damage as well. Many people who get infected with Hepatitis C virus, experience mild or no symptoms at all. It is estimated that approximately 7 million people die from hepatitis C-related liver disease every year.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hepatitis C disease can be either acute or chronic. Persons infected with acute hepatitis shows mild symptoms which last only a few weeks while the person suffering from chronic hepatitis C infection may experience long-term health effects including liver disorders and even liver cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Transmission Modes of hepatitis C virus infection<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hepatitis C virus is transmitted from one person to another by the following means:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use of infected syringes, razors and injections<\/li>\n<li>Sexual intercourse with an infected partner<\/li>\n<li>Use of unsterilized medical equipments<\/li>\n<li>Blood transfusion from an infected donor<\/li>\n<li>An unborn baby may get infected if the mother is infected<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hepatitis C infection, however, does not spread via kissing, sharing food &amp; drinks, casual contact, hugging, holding hands, sneezing, coughing, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Risk Factors for Hepatitis C<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Various risk factors for hepatitis C infection may include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>For healthcare workers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Exposure to contaminated blood or getting pricked by an infected needle.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>For others<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Receiving a tattoo or piercing from unsterile equipment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having sexually transmitted diseases like HIV.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going through hemodialysis for a longer period of time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If one was born to a hepatitis C infected woman.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Symptoms and Warning Signs of Hepatitis C<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Here are some of the signs and symptoms experienced by the person suffering from hepatitis C infection:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Bleeding<\/li>\n<li>Bruising<\/li>\n<li>Fatigue<\/li>\n<li>Poor appetite<\/li>\n<li>Jaundice<\/li>\n<li>Itchy skin<\/li>\n<li>Dark-colored urine<\/li>\n<li>Fluid retention in the abdomen<\/li>\n<li>Swelling in lower limbs<\/li>\n<li>Weight loss<\/li>\n<li>Confusion and drowsiness<\/li>\n<li>Spiderlike blood vessels on the skin<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Diagnosis and testing of chronic Hepatitis C virus infection<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Some tests which are performed by the doctors to diagnose hepatitis C infection include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Anti HCV antibodies:<\/strong> The human body starts producing these proteins when it finds the Hepatitis C virus in the blood.<\/li>\n<li><strong>HCV RNA:<\/strong> This test measures the number of genetic materials from the hepatitis virus (viral RNA) in the blood.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Liver function test:<\/strong> This test measures the protein and enzyme level in the blood which usually rises 7-8 weeks after you are infected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Use of infected syringes, razors and injections<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Liver cirrhosis:<\/strong> Prolonged hepatitis infection may cause scarring of the liver which makes it difficult for the liver to function.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Liver cancer:<\/strong> People suffering from hepatitis may have higher chances of developing liver cancer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Liver failure:<\/strong> Liver cirrhosis in its advanced stage may cause the liver to stop functioning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Management and treatment of Hepatitis C<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Some ways to treat and manage patients suffering from hepatitis C infection are:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It is highly recommended to go for regular monitoring and proper checkups every 4-8 weeks which can exceed to 6-12 months, to determine whether the treatment is working or not.<\/li>\n<li>Proper medical counselling is provided to the patient with acute HCV infection.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patients are recommended not to use liver damaging drugs like paracetamol and avoid consumption of alcohol.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Patients are educated about having safe sex so that they won\u2019t infect their partners during sexual activity.<\/li>\n<li>Drug addicts who are suffering from hepatitis C infection due to sharing of injection and syringes are treated by an addiction medicine specialist.<\/li>\n<li>Liver biopsy is recommended in case of chronic hepatitis infection to rule out the presence of serious liver damage or even liver cancer.<\/li>\n<li>Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN), Ribavirin, Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), Incivek (telaprevir), Olysio (simeprevir), Victrelis (boceprevir) and Harvoni (ledipasvir or sofosbuvir) etc. are some of the medicines used to treat hepatitis C infection.<\/li>\n<li>The effectiveness of these medicines will depend upon the extent of liver damage and severity of the infection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to Prevent Hepatitis C?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Hepatitis C infection can be prevented by following these precautions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stop the use of illicit drugs and seek medical advice particularly if infected needles are being used to inject the drugs<\/li>\n<li>While having piercing or tattooing, always makes sure that fresh and sterile needles and equipment are being used.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid having sexual intercourse with an infected person or multiple partners.<\/li>\n<li>Always use protection while having sex.<\/li>\n<li>Never share your personal stuff with anyone like razors, nail clippers, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Is Hepatitis C infection curable?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per the data published by the WHO, approximately 30% of the people with acute Hepatitis C infection get better within 6 months without any major treatment. It also states that around 95% of the infection cases are curable by using various antiviral medicines. Chronic Hepatitis C infection can likely be cured.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hepatitis infection spreads in humans by various mean, causing mild to severe liver damage. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, seek medical advice immediately. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yashodahealthcare.com\/book-an-appointment\/\">Book appointment at YASHODA HOSPITAL<\/a> &amp; RESEARCH CENTRE, NEHRU NAGAR, GHAZIABAD the doctors here are highly trained and experienced in diagnosing and treating liver disorders including Hepatitis C infection, with great accuracy and care.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Some of the best doctors and surgeons who treat liver-related disorders in Delhi NCR are:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yashodahealthcare.com\/doctor\/manish-gupta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Dr. Manish Kumar Gupta<\/b><\/a><b> <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is one of the finest and leading gastroenterologists in Delhi NCR. He is acknowledged for his work in chronic liver disease, pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yashodahealthcare.com\/doctor\/sushrut-singh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Dr. Sushrut Singh<\/b><\/a><b> <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a consultant in the department of gastroenterology and hepatology at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yashodahealthcare.com\/\">Yashoda Hospital &amp; Research Centre<\/a>. He is one of the best gastroenterologists in Delhi NCR. An advanced endoscopist and expert in endoscopic gastric balloon placement for obesity, he is known for performing various gastric and liver-related procedures with great precision.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hepatitis C is a viral disease caused by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) which primarily affects the liver. It causes liver inflammation and sometimes serious liver damage as well. Many people who get infected with Hepatitis C virus, experience mild or no symptoms at all. It is estimated that approximately 7 million people die from hepatitis&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[547,548,549,8,9,550,551,552,553,554,555,556,557,558,559,560,561,562,563,564,565,566,567,568,569,570,571,572,573,574,575,576,577,578,579,580],"class_list":["post-92","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gastroenterology","tag-anti-hcv-antibodies","tag-complications-of-hepatitis-c","tag-diagnosis-and-testing-of-chronic-hepatitis-c-virus-infection","tag-dr-manish-kumar-gupta","tag-dr-sushrut-singh","tag-how-to-prevent-hepatitis-c","tag-is-hepatitis-c-infection-curable","tag-liver-function-test-in-agra","tag-liver-function-test-in-aligarh","tag-liver-function-test-in-amroha","tag-liver-function-test-in-bijnor","tag-liver-function-test-in-bulandshahr","tag-liver-function-test-in-crossings-republik","tag-liver-function-test-in-delhi-ncr","tag-liver-function-test-in-gajraula","tag-liver-function-test-in-garh-mukteshwar","tag-liver-function-test-in-ghaziabad","tag-liver-function-test-in-greater-noida","tag-liver-function-test-in-gurgaon","tag-liver-function-test-in-gurugram","tag-liver-function-test-in-hapur","tag-liver-function-test-in-indrapuram","tag-liver-function-test-in-lucknow","tag-liver-function-test-in-mathura","tag-liver-function-test-in-meerut","tag-liver-function-test-in-modinagar","tag-liver-function-test-in-muzaffarnagar","tag-liver-function-test-in-noida","tag-liver-function-test-in-rajnagar-extension","tag-liver-function-test-in-saharanpur","tag-liver-function-test-in-vaishali","tag-liver-function-test-in-vasundhara","tag-management-and-treatment-of-hepatitis-c","tag-risk-factors-for-hepatitis-c","tag-symptoms-and-warning-signs-of-hepatitis-c","tag-transmission-modes-of-hepatitis-c-virus-infection"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yashodahealthcare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}