Hepatitis C: symptoms and treatment

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Previously, all types of hepatitis had one name - jaundice( Botkin's disease).Then the virus was typed. And now for everyone there is a certain letter - from A to F. The most common and dangerous form of the disease is hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C - what is it?

Hepatitis C refers to infectious liver diseases. The virus can enter the body of every person. The number of cases increases annually, mostly affecting young people. The peculiarity of this virus is the ability to mutate and genetically change.

Currently, there are 6 major genotypes of the virus. But in the human body, they begin to change, which leads to the formation of numerous subspecies. It is this activity of the virus that makes it difficult to diagnose and treat hepatitis C. While protective functions of the body produce one body, new subspecies with other properties appear.

Hepatitis C is on the list of socially significant, chronic infectious diseases. The ailment reduces the working capacity of people. The disease can not be controlled, because there is no effective vaccine. Chronic hepatitis C is the leader among indications for liver transplantation.

Important! The disease can only be determined by clinical and instrumental examination.

Symptoms and signs of the disease

In hepatitis C, not only the liver, but also many other internal organs( kidneys, bladder) is damaged, metabolism is disrupted, and there are malfunctions in the immune system. Often patients who complain of general weakness, malaise do not connect these complaints with liver disease.

Among the clinical manifestations of hepatitis C can be noted:

• the patient becomes less active, constantly experiencing a sense of weakness and apathy;
• appetite decreases, may start an aversion to food;
• in the right upper quadrant, there is discomfort and feeling of bursting. The doctor reveals an enlarged spleen and liver when palpating;
• patient can constantly fever.

This type of hepatitis also has extrahepatic symptoms, which are manifested by rheumatoid inflammations. Also, patients complain of visual impairment. Often externally hepatitis manifests itself in the form of a red flat lichen. These signs are not determinative. But further examination confirms the relationship of these symptoms and the destruction of the liver.

The disease occurs without any symptoms. Such patients are reservoirs for the virus, carriers of the disease. Hepatitis C is the same in men and women. The consequences of the disease may not appear immediately, but only after a long period of time.

Important! Jaundice colouration is almost uncharacteristic of hepatitis C. Sometimes it can appear for a short period of time.

Causes of hepatitis

The main cause of the disease is negligent attitude to one's own health and non-observance of sanitary norms in medical institutions.

1. The greatest risk of infection in people who use injecting drugs. And also those who were given blood transfusion before 1987
2. Sexually transmitted infections can be extremely rare. But with the constant change of partners and illegible sexual relations, the risk of contracting hepatitis C increases several times.
3. In negligent mothers, a virus can be transmitted to a child during pregnancy. If the rules and recommendations of the doctor are followed, the child is born healthy.

Unfortunately, infection often occurs in dental offices and hospitals. In this case, a healthy person contacts infected biological material.

Ways of infection:

• different kinds of injections;
• blood transfusion;
• dental treatment;
• hemodialysis.

How many live with hepatitis C

Timely diagnosis and taking prescribed medications increases the chance of recovery. Modern medicines can completely remove from the body the antibodies of the virus within a few years.

The chronic stage of the disease lasts from 10 to 30 years. After that, irreversible destructive processes begin in the liver, the result of which is cirrhosis. This development of the disease is typical in every 5 cases.

Important! The average age of patients is 30 years. Fatal changes occur in the body in 40-60 years.

The number of recovered patients is approximately 15%.At the same time, immunity is not produced, the probability of repeated infection remains quite high.

Pharmacists are making comforting predictions of the soon emergence of drugs that can help almost every patient with hepatitis C. Some drugs will be registered with the state in the near future.

Can hepatitis C be cured? In acute forms of hepatitis, a 6-patient chance of complete cure is present. In other cases, the asymptomatic chronic stage begins to develop. Cirrhosis and liver cancer develop.

As transmitted by

The virus enters the bloodstream, then into the liver bypassing the digestive tract. The main way of infection is an intravenous injection, made with a dirty syringe. Therefore, this disease is very common among drug addicts. Virtually 90% of people who are addicted to heroin are potential spreaders of the virus. Also many patients with hepatitis among prisoners.

1. The next way of infection is sexual intercourse without means of protection. But the probability of getting hepatitis in this case is no more than 3%.
2. In addition to dirty needles, you can get infected in beauty salons and medical institutions when using dirty tools.

Important! The hepatitis C virus is not transmitted by airborne droplets. Handshakes. Implications with the patient are absolutely safe.

Many people ask the doctor, how can you get hepatitis C?A small chance of infection exists when performing a piercing or tattoo. There is a risk of infection during medical manipulations, if sanitary norms are not observed.

Medical personnel are at risk - they may become infected by contact with an infected patient. But this is possible only if the medic has open scratches or skin lesions.

The number of cases of hepatitis after blood transfusion now does not exceed 4%.Earlier this figure was much higher, because the blood was not purified so thoroughly.

Important! The hepatitis C virus is very resistant. It retains its activity on any surface for about four days.

Hepatitis C in children, symptoms and treatment

Children can become infected with hepatitis in the womb. In adolescence, the cause of the disease can be contact with infected blood, various medical and surgical injections. The duration of the incubation period is 7-8 weeks.

Symptoms:

• pain syndrome with abdominal and joint localization;
• prolonged rise in temperature within 37-38 degrees;
• change of color of urine - it foams, it becomes dark;
• feces become almost colorless;
• shows signs of intoxication - vomiting, nausea.

Important! Cirrhosis, bleeding, hepatic and renal insufficiency develops in children more often than in adults.

1. Treatment occurs with the help of antiviral drugs and immunomodulators( urosan).
2. To prevent the development of a chronic stage, interferon derivatives - viferon, ribavirin are assigned.
3. Children older than three years are shown taking recombinant tterferon-alpha. For children under 2 years of age, antiviral therapy is contraindicated.

The duration of therapy is 6-12 months.

Hepatitis in pregnant women

Acute phase of the disease occurs without any symptoms. It is possible to detect hepatitis C during pregnancy only clinically. For this, several times you will have to take a blood test.

With this form of hepatitis intrauterine infection is not typical. A child from an infected mother can be born absolutely healthy.

The acute stage of the disease is a contraindication for the artificial termination of pregnancy. When a threat of miscarriage, doctors make every effort to preserve the fetus.

1. Treatment with antiviral drugs( interreon, ribavirin) during pregnancy is prohibited. These drugs negatively affect the development of the child.
2. Pregnant women can be shown safe hepatoprotectors( hofitol, karsil).The main attention is paid to diet compliance.

Important! It is possible to detect the virus with the help of a blood test within a week after the possible infection.

Treatment with medicines

Treating hepatitis is long, difficult and expensive. Even diagnosing a disease is sometimes difficult. In the blood, only traces of the virus can be detected, and the pathogen itself can not be detected, it is in an inactive stage.

The basis of treatment is a combination of two antiviral drugs - interferon-alpha and ribavirin. With contraindications, one of the drugs may be prescribed, but treatment will become less effective.

Drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C

Drugs that are capable of restoring liver cells( hepatoprotectors) - fandetox, carpel, Essentiale forte - are mandatory.

Drugs based on ursodeoxycholic acid( urosan, lilodex) are not toxic, they can increase the patient's endurance, relieve him of weakness and irritability.

Among the new drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C can be noted sophosbuvir and daklatasfir. Clinical trials were conducted in America, showed high effectiveness and a small number of side effects( 98% of patients recovered).But treatment with these drugs is very expensive.

Treatment with folk remedies

Honey

The best natural remedy for treating hepatitis is honey water.

1. For its preparation it is necessary to dissolve 15 ml of honey in a glass of warm water.
2. Drug is consumed at a volley 2.5 hours before meals.

Well helps with chronic hepatitis. Treatment should be done 2 times a year for 60 days.

Thistle

This plant is one of the most effective for the treatment of hepatitis. From the seeds you can prepare a decoction.

1. Raw materials in a coffee grinder.
2. Take 45 g of powder, pour 500 ml of boiling water.
3. Keep in a water bath, the liquid should evaporate halfway.
4. Skip the drug through a fine sieve.

The broth is taken after eating 15 ml three times a day. Treatment should be continued for 30 to 60 days.

Siberian medicine

Black radish grate, squeeze out the juice. Mix 1 liter of the resulting juice with 500 ml of natural honey. Take 3 times a day for 30 ml.

Similarly, a medicine is prepared from cranberries.

Mumiye

1. Restores liver tissue, saturates them with oxygen.
2. Boil and cool 3 liters of water.
3. Add 3 g of mummy.
4. Drink 220 ml three times a day for 10 days.

You need to take medicine only 30 minutes before the start of the meal.

Diet for hepatitis C

In hepatitis it is very important to follow a special diet, whose goal is to reduce the load on the liver, to get from the food all the necessary nutrients and vitamins.

Under the ban, fried, sweet and heavy food, sauces and mayonnaise. Also it is necessary to exclude smoked and salty dishes, spinach, sorrel and beans. Feeding should be frequent, fractional and regular. Fats must be of vegetable origin.

Allowed products:

• light vegetarian soups, buckwheat and oatmeal;
• meat and fish dishes from low-fat varieties baked, steam;
• dairy products with low fat content - cheese, not sour cottage cheese, kefir;
• fried vegetables;
• fruit and berry fruit drinks, compotes.

You can cook a variety of casseroles and puddings. And as a dessert, use dried fruits.

Important! A fresh and fresh carrot juice is a universal and affordable remedy for all liver diseases.

Prevention of

The virus becomes inactive after two minutes of boiling. Also, it is destroyed by direct irradiation with ultraviolet for at least 10 minutes.

Preventive measures of hepatitis are fairly simple:

• not to consume alcohol and drugs;
• not to use other people's hygiene supplies, to instill this habit to children;
• undergo hepatitis B vaccination;
• do not hesitate to ask to conduct all dangerous medical manipulations with only one-time instruments;
• visit only proven beauty salons.

Hepatitis C often results in death. While medicine does not have reliable preventive measures. But everyone can take care of their own health and safety.