i have hep c now what?
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Treatment now centers on direct acting antiviral drugs (DAAs). These medicines are highly effective for most people with hepatitis C and are interferon-free and often ribavirin-free. This means they typically have fewer side effects. The treatments are often simpler, with fewer pills for a shorter amount of time.
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The Hepatitis C virus is considered “cured” if the virus is not detected in your blood when measured with a blood test 3 months after treatment is completed. This is called a sustained virologic response (SVR) and data suggest that you will stay virus free indefinitely.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that up to 1 out of 4 people who contract the virus will eventually be cured without treatment. For these people, hepatitis C will be a short-term acute condition that goes away without treatment.
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hepatitis C can cause kidney disease, and sometimes kidney patients can get hepatitis C from hemodialysis, a treatment for kidney failure, if a medical facility does not carefully follow guidelines for infection control.
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['Avoiding use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.', 'Controlling your blood pressure.', 'Eating a low protein diet if you have a history of liver disease.']
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To find out what genotype a person with hep C has, blood is drawn at a lab and a HCV RNA test is done to look at parts of the virus' genetic makeup called nucleotides. As explained above, every hep C genotype has a unique genetic makeup.
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CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis C Screening Among Adults in the United States. Universal hepatitis C screening: Hepatitis C screening at least once in a lifetime for all adults aged 18 years and older, except in settings where the prevalence of HCV infection (HCV RNA‑positivity) is less than 0.1%*
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You can contract hepatitis C by coming into direct contact with an infected person's blood. It can also be transmitted by contact with bodily fluids including saliva or semen of an infected person, but this is rare.
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In adults, jaundice itself usually isn't treated. But your doctor will treat the condition that's causing it. If you have acute viral hepatitis, jaundice will go away on its own as the liver begins to heal. If a blocked bile duct is to blame, your doctor may suggest surgery to open it.
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['Live with or have sex with someone who has hepatitis A.', 'Travel to countries where hepatitis A is common.', 'Are a man who has sex with other men.', 'Use illegal drugs.', 'Have a clotting-factor disorder (such as hemophilia)']
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When signs and symptoms are present, they may include jaundice, along with fatigue, nausea, fever and muscle aches. Acute symptoms appear one to three months after exposure to the virus and last two weeks to three months. Acute hepatitis C infection doesn't always become chronic.
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If you think you may have been exposed to hepatitis C, taking a test will put your mind at rest or, if the test is positive, allow you to start treatment early. GP surgeries, sexual health clinics, genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics or drug treatment services all offer testing for hepatitis C.
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Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness. Hepatitis C is often described as “acute,” meaning a new infection or “chronic,” meaning lifelong infection.
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Hepatitis C is a virus that can infect the liver. If left untreated, it can sometimes cause serious and potentially life-threatening damage to the liver over many years. But with modern treatments, it's usually possible to cure the infection, and most people with it will have a normal life expectancy.
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The HCV RNA PCR test is used to determine whether the hepatitis C virus (HCV) exists in your bloodstream. If the virus is present, the test can also measure the exact amount that's in your blood. The amount of virus in your blood is known as the viral load.
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To determine a diagnosis, your infant will be given two HCV RNA-PCR tests at least six months apart. This test can be done after 3 months of age, though it usually isn't done until later. If your infant tests positive on both, they will be diagnosed with HCV.
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Hepatitis C is spread by exposure to blood and body fluids. The virus is transmitted primarily by sharing needles. It can also be spread by receiving a transfusion or blood products, and having sex with someone who has Hepatitis C, although both are rare.