The Hidden C
In April of 1989 the discovery of the virus originally dubbed non-A/non-B hepatitis was renamed hepatitis C virus (HCV). This discovery led to significant improvements in the diagnosis and improved methods of antiviral treatments. Hepatitis C is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the liver called viral hepatitis. There are different forms of viral hepatitis, but most commonly seen are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. All three viruses are infectious diseases meaning that they can spread from one person to another. How they spread, how long the virus lasts and how they are treated varies for each virus. Hepatitis C is most often seen in people who:
- Have been on long-term kidney dialysis
- Have received blood, blood products or organs from a donor with hepatitis C
- Received a blood transfusion prior to 1992
- Have regular contact with blood in their employment such as a nurse
- Have had unprotected sexual contact or have shared an intravenous drug needle with someone who has hepatitis C
- Were born to a hepatitis C-infected mother; this occurs in roughly 1 out of 20 babies born to mothers with HCV.
- Least common is sharing personal items such as toothbrushes and razors with someone who has Hepatitis C
Most people initially infected with the hepatitis C virus develop the chronic and acute form. Approximately 1.5% of the population is infected with HCV. Very often those infected with hepatitis C do not show any symptoms, though 10% will develop jaundice (a yellow color of the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes) that will get better. If the infection has been present for many years and left untreated, the liver may develop a condition called cirrhosis (scarring of the liver and poor liver function); in many cases there are no symptoms of the disease until cirrhosis has occurred. Many times common symptoms are dismissed or attributed to something else. Common hepatitis C symptoms include:
- Jaundice
- Abdominal swelling and or pain
- Dark urine
- Unexplained fevers
- Itching
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and or vomiting
- Pale or clay colored stool
- Bleeding from the esophagus or stomach
If you have one or more of these symptoms your physician may order one or more of the following tests:
- EIA which detects hepatitis C antibodies
- Hepatitis C RNA to determine you virus levels/virus loads
- Hepatitis C genotype to identify which of the 6 genotypes you have, the most common in Americans being genotype 1 infection, which unfortunately is the hardest to treat.
Though many people do opt for liver transplants this does not necessarily prevent hepatitis C from recurring and can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. There are antiviral treatments available which include weekly injections of pegylated interferon alfa and Ribavirin (a capsule that is taken twice daily), though there are a number of side-effects that should be monitored by your doctor. Treatment generally lasts for 24-48 weeks.
With the advancements in treatments since its discovery in 1989, there`s no reason to allow hepatitis C play hide and seek with your body. According to the Institute of Medicine, it is estimated that in 2010, about 4 million people in the United States have been infected with hepatitis C. In comparison, just over 1 million people have HIV. This means that hepatitis C is about 4 times more common than HIV in the United States. For more information talk to your health care provider and visit:www.bettertoknowc.com/
