What Happens To Your Body When You Have Hepatitis C

What Is Hepatitis C Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment And Prevention

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, and hepatitis C is liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus .

Journal of Clinical MicrobiologyJournal of Infectious Diseases

Though these genotypes appear to affect people similarly, they respond differently to treatments, and it’s possible to be infected with more than one HCV genotype at the same time.

Whatever the genotype, hepatitis C is considered either acute or chronic .

Treatments For Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C can be treated with medicines that stop the virus multiplying inside the body. These usually need to be taken for several weeks.

Until recently, most people would have taken 2 main medicines called pegylated interferon and ribavirin .

Tablet-only treatments are now available.

These new hepatitis C medicines have been found to make treatment more effective, are easier to tolerate, and have shorter treatment courses.

They include simeprevir, sofosbuvir and daclatasvir.

Using the latest medications, more than 90% of people with hepatitis C may be cured.

But it’s important to be aware that you will not be immune to the infection and should take steps to reduce your risk of becoming infected again.

Causes Of Hepatitis C

You can become infected with hepatitis C if you come into contact with the blood of an infected person.

Other bodily fluids can also contain the virus, but blood contains the highest level of it. Just a small trace of blood can cause an infection. At room temperature, it’s thought the virus may be able survive outside the body in patches of dried blood on surfaces for up to several weeks.

The main ways you can become infected with the hepatitis C virus are described below.

Don’t Miss: What Happens When You Get Hepatitis C

Favorite Hep C Alternative Medicine Resource

Although hep C can be successfully treated with modern medicine, many people turn to dietary supplements with the goal of curing their illness. The most commonly used is silymarin . Although the NCCIH says that no supplement is effective for hep C, the center provides the latest scientific data on a range of products, including probiotics, zinc, licorice root, and colloidal silver.

The Effects Of Hepatitis C On Your Body

You may have seen numerous literature and commercials about chronic hepatitis C and for good reason. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , up to 3.9 million people in the United States may have the chronic form of this virus. According to the World Health Organization , over 70 million people are affected worldwide.

What exactly is chronic HCV? In a nutshell, it refers to ongoing inflammation of your liver. But it can lead to symptoms throughout your body. Over time, living with this condition can cause your body to be especially vulnerable to serious health complications.

HCV is transmitted through contact with the blood. Its rarely transmitted through sexual contact from someone infected with the virus. Ultimately, this infection leads to liver inflammation and a host of other issues that can severely damage your health.

The virus has two stages, acute and chronic. The acute stage happens within six months of being exposed to the virus. For some, this is a short-term illness. But according to the CDC, most people about 75 to 80 percent will develop chronic HCV. This means it can be lifelong. Most people dont realize they have the virus until other symptoms within their body start.

Although the hepatitis A, B, and C viruses all cause hepatitis, they are three different and distinct viruses.

You May Like: Hepatitis A Vaccine At Cvs

How Do You Test For Hepatitis C

A simple blood test carried out by a healthcare professional will show whether you have the virus. You may also be given an extra test to see if your liver is damaged.

If youve got hepatitis C you should be tested for other STIs. It’s important that you tell your recent sexual partner/s so they can also get tested and treated. Many people who have hepatitis C do not notice anything wrong, and by telling them you can help to stop the virus being passed on. It can also stop you from getting the infection again.

Sharing Toothbrushes Scissors And Razors

There’s a potential risk that hepatitis C may be passed on through sharing items such as toothbrushes, razors and scissors, as they can become contaminated with infected blood.

Equipment used by hairdressers, such as scissors and clippers, can pose a risk if it has been contaminated with infected blood and not been sterilised or cleaned between customers. However, most salons operate to high standards, so this risk is low.

Read Also: How Long Can You Live With Hepatitis C Untreated

What Happens When You Have Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis

Because the liver becomes lumpy and stiff in cirrhosis, blood cannot flow through it easily. Pressure builds up in the vein that brings blood to the liver. This vein is called the portal vein and portal hypertension is the name of the condition when the pressure in the portal vein is high. To relieve this pressure, the blood passes through other veins. Some of these veins, called varices, can be found in the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach or in your stomach itself.

When you have cirrhosis, the high pressure in the portal vein backs up into another organ called the spleen. The spleen then gets big and destroys more platelets than usual. Platelets are blood particles that help with blood clotting.

When you have cirrhosis, blood flow to the liver is impaired. Substances such as ammonia that would normally be cleaned by the liver, escape into the general circulation. Aside from the problems with liver blood flow, when cirrhosis is advanced there aren’t enough healthy cells to get all the work done. These cells cannot make the good substances such as albumin and clotting factors that the liver normally makes. Liver cancer, called hepatocellular carcinoma , can also occur when some of the sick liver cells start to multiply out of control.

Additional Tests You Might Need

Once youve been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, your doctor will likely order a number of tests to find out about the health of your liver and decide on a treatment plan thats most appropriate for you.

Hepatitis C genotype

The Hepatitis C genotype refers to a specific strain or type of the Hepatitis C virus. There are six major types of Hepatitis C around the world: genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. In the United States, genotypes 1, 2, and 3 are common:

• Genotype 1: Most Americans with Hepatitis C have this type
• Genotype 2: About 10% of Americans with Hepatitis C have this type
• Genotype 3: About 6% of Americans with Hepatitis C have this type

The genotype of Hepatitis C does not change over time, so you only need to get tested once.

Genotype tests are done before a person starts treatment. Hepatitis C treatment works differently for different genotypes, so knowing your genotype helps your doctor choose the best treatment for you.

Testing for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B

Your doctor may test to see if your body is immune to Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. If these tests show no prior exposure or protection, he or she will recommend that you be vaccinated against these two viruses to eliminate the chance of becoming infected.

Liver function tests or liver enzymes

• ALT
• AST

Liver function tests also include ALP and total bilirubin, among other things.

Tests to measure liver scarring or fibrosis

• Liver Biopsy

• Elastography

• Serum markers

Imaging tests

• The Body

Don’t Miss: Pro Plan Hepatic Dog Food

What Does High/low Viral Load Mean

Viral load is the amount of virus present in the bloodstream. It is expressed as the amount of viral genetic material per milliliter of blood. The amount of virus does not predict how severe the liver disease is or will become. The level of the viral load does not tell us anything about the risk of liver damage or how sick someone is. In hepatitis C, it matters if virus is present or absent. Some treatment regimens can be shortened if the patient has a low viral load to start with, but most often, treatment regimens are the same for people with high hepatitis C viral loads or low viral loads.

The RNA test is essential for making the diagnosis of hepatitis C infection–having a positive RNA test is the definition of having infection. After the diagnosis is made, the RNA level does not need to be checked over and over unless it is checked during the time that the patient is undergoing treatment. During treatment, regular RNA tests are done to follow the dropping virus level until it reaches an undetectable state. But before treatment and after treatment, repeated RNA testing is not necessary.

Signs And Symptoms Of Hepatitis C

People with acute hepatitis C infection usually dont have symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they typically develop within two to twelve weeks of becoming infected.1 Symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Joint pain
• Jaundice

Its important to know that you can spread the infection to someone else even if you have no symptoms.

You May Like: Hepatitis C Symptoms In Females

Is It Safe To Take Aspirin Or Tylenol If I Have Hepatitis C

Tylenol is an over-the-counter pain killer. It can be harmful in high doses. If you have hepatitis or liver disease, then you can take Tylenol, but no more than 2,000 mg total over 24 hours. In general, this could be one 500 mg tablet every 6 hours, at the most. Acetaminophen is also included as an ingredient in some opiate medications and in some over-the-counter cold/flu medications, so please be aware of the dose of acetaminophen you may be taking from some combination medicines.

Aspirin, ibuprofen , naproxen , and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , can be harmful if you have cirrhosis. They are safe in hepatitis patients who do not have cirrhosis. But, if a patient has cirrhosis, then NSAIDs cannot be taken at all. If you are not sure, always check with your provider.

What Causes Hepatitis C

The hepatitis C virus causes hepatitis C. The hepatitis C virus spreads through contact with an infected persons blood. Contact can occur by

• sharing drug needles or other drug materials with an infected person
• getting an accidental stick with a needle that was used on an infected person
• being tattooed or pierced with tools or inks that were not kept sterilefree from all viruses and other microorganismsand were used on an infected person before they were used on you
• having contact with the blood or open sores of an infected person
• using an infected persons razor, toothbrush, or nail clippers
• being born to a mother with hepatitis C
• having unprotected sex with an infected person

You cant get hepatitis C from

• being coughed or sneezed on by an infected person
• drinking water or eating food
• hugging an infected person
• shaking hands or holding hands with an infected person
• sharing spoons, forks, and other eating utensils
• sitting next to an infected person

A baby cant get hepatitis C from breast milk.18

Read Also: Can Hepatitis C Turn Into Hiv

Getting Tested Is The Only Way To Know If You Have Hepatitis C

A blood test called a hepatitis C antibody test can tell if you have been infected with the hepatitis C viruseither recently or in the past. If you have a positive antibody test, another blood test is needed to tell if you are still infected or if you were infected in the past and cleared the virus on your own.

• Are 18 years of age and older
• Are pregnant
• Currently inject drugs
• Have ever injected drugs, even if it was just once or many years ago
• Have HIV
• Have abnormal liver tests or liver disease
• Are on hemodialysis

Lifestyle Changes And Home Remedies

If youre diagnosed with hepatitis C, your doctor may recommend certain lifestyle changes to keep you healthy longer. He or she may recommend that you:

• Stop drinking alcohol, which can contribute to liver damage.
• Avoid certain medications, including over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements that may cause liver damage your doctor will counsel you on which medications and supplements to avoid.
• Protect others from coming into contact with your blood by using condoms, telling your partner about your HCV status before you have sex, covering open wounds, and avoiding donating blood, body organs, or semen.

You May Like: What Is The Treatment For Hepatitis C

Acute Vs Chronic Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C infection can be acute, short-term, or chronic, lifelong.

• Acute Hepatitis C occurs within six months of exposure to the virus. HCV can be a short-term infection that the body clears on its own, but most people will go on to develop a chronic infection.
• Chronic Hepatitis C can last for years, decades, or even a lifetime. If left untreated, HCV can lead to serious health complications, including liver damage, scarring of the liver , liver cancer, and even death.

Approximately 75%85% of HCV infection cases become chronic.1 In about 15%25% of cases, a persons body will rid itself of the virus on its own without treatment this is called spontaneous clearance, and experts arent sure exactly sure why it happens.1

Experts also arent sure why so many cases of hepatitis C infection become chronic. It might be due to changes that occur as the virus replicates these changes may protect the virus against attacks by the immune system.

Are There Supplements That Are Good For My Liver

If a person eats a balanced diet, they will normally get enough vitamins and minerals. People with liver disease should avoid taking large amounts of supplements or “mega-vitamins.” This is because the liver has to do extra work to process them. Your provider may put you on a general multivitamin without iron.

Don’t Miss: How Do You Contact Hepatitis A

What Are Genotypes And What Do They Mean

Viruses have genes, too. The genotype of virus you have can be one of six different groups, or genotypes. Most patients with hepatitis C in the United States have genotype 1a or 1b, but in other parts of the world, other genotypes are more common.

There isn’t a “better” or “worse” genotype to have. In the past , genotype 1 was the most difficult to successfully cure but this is no longer the case. All the new direct-acting antiviral medicines work extremely well in treating all genotypes. Sometimes genotype 3 is a little harder to cure, but in general, all genotypes now have extremely high likelihoods of being cured with hepatitis C treatment.

How Can I Prevent Spreading Hepatitis C To Others

If you have hepatitis C, follow the steps above to avoid spreading the infection. Tell your sex partner you have hepatitis C, and talk with your doctor about safe sex practices. In addition, you can protect others from infection by telling your doctor, dentist, and other health care providers that you have hepatitis C. Dont donate blood or blood products, semen, organs, or tissue.

You May Like: How Does Hepatitis C Affect The Liver

How Do You Treat Hepatitis C

People with acute infection do not always need treatment, because their immune system may clear hepatitis C on its own. If you test positive during the acute stage, your doctor may ask you to come back after a few months to re-test and to see if you need any treatment.

If people develop chronic infection, they will need treatment to help clear the virus. Where available, treatment with drugs called direct-acting antivirals can cure hepatitis in most cases. These are usually taken for 8-12 weeks. Your doctor will also check your liver for any damage.

If youve had hepatitis C in the past, youre not immune to future infections which means you can get it again. You can also still get other types of hepatitis, and having hepatitis C together with another type is more serious.

If youve already had hepatitis C, its advisable to have the vaccination against hepatitis A and B to protect your liver from further damage.

Whether you have symptoms or not, dont have sex until your healthcare professional says you can.

How Do Doctors Treat The Complications Of Hepatitis C

If hepatitis C leads to cirrhosis, you should see a doctor who specializes in liver diseases. Doctors can treat the health problems related to cirrhosis with medicines, surgery, and other medical procedures. If you have cirrhosis, you have an increased chance of liver cancer. Your doctor may order an ultrasound test to check for liver cancer.

If hepatitis C leads to liver failure or liver cancer, you may need a liver transplant.

Recommended Reading: Can Alcoholic Hepatitis Be Cured

Who Is Most At Risk Of Contracting Hepatitis C

You have a high risk of contracting hepatitis C if you:

• use or have used injection drugs even if it was just once or many years ago
• have received blood or blood products or an organ transplant before July 1990 in Canada
• have been in jail or
• have been injected or scratched during vaccination, surgery, blood transfusion or a religious/ceremonial ritual in regions where hepatitis C is common.

You have a high moderate risk of contracting hepatitis C if you:

• have tattoos or body piercing
• have multiple sexual partners
• have a sexually transmitted infection , including HIV or lymphogranuloma venereum
• have experienced traumatic sex or rough sex or have used sex toys or fisting that can tear body tissue
• have vaginal sex during menstruation
• have received a kidney treatment
• have received an accidental injury from a needle or syringe
• have another infectious disease
• were born to a hepatitis C infected mother or
• have a sexual partner infected with hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C is NOT passed from person to person by:

• coughing, sneezing
• breastfeeding unless your nipples are cracked and bleeding or
• oral sex, unless blood is present.