Hepatitis C: Understanding This Viral Liver Disease

The virus hepatitis C It is one of the 6 main viruses responsible for hepatitis belonging to the group of viruses that are named with the first eight letters of the alphabet (from A to H). It is a group of viruses that have a special affinity for the hepatocyte or cell of the liver, inside which they multiply. Its presence inside the liver cell gives rise to different inflammatory processes which as a whole will cause a general inflammation of the liver and an alteration of its normal function.

Acute hepatitis C in most cases is a benign and self-limited disease. More than 60% of acute hepatitis C cases progress to chronic hepatitis C, and a third of these patients end up developing serious complications such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

How Hepatitis C Is Spread

The hepatitis C virus is transmitted through people infected by the virus, the main routes of infection are:

• For contact with infected blood (through wounds, use of shared needles or syringes, transfusions, transplants, hemodialysis, acupuncture, piercing, tattoos, use of intravenous drugs ...).
• For sexual way, through contact with semen or secretions of a person infected with the virus.
• For transmission from an infected mother by the virus to the fetus at the time of delivery.
• By contact with contaminated utensils or objects due to the virus (toothbrush, blades, medical supplies, etc.)

The period of incubation of hepatitis C virus is about 4-12 weeks. People with acute or subacute infection can transmit the disease from the time they are infected up to 2 weeks after the first symptoms of illness appear. People with chronic infection are always potentially contagious.

Symptoms of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is often asymptomatic. When it is symptomatic, the main symptoms that may appear are:

• Fatigue
• Weightloss
• Moderate fever
• Flu syndrome (cough, sneezing, chills, generalized bone or joint pain)
• Itchy skin
• Change in color of the skin and mucous membranes (yellowing)
• Change in color of stool (whitish stool).
• Abdominal discomfort

Diagnosis of the disease

The diagnosis of hepatitis C is made by the general practitioner, the internist or the digestive system specialist in the consultation of the medical center or hospital.

The diagnosis is based on the physical examination of the patient, the symptomatology who presents and the result of complementary studies performed, mainly ultrasound of the liver and blood tests. What to look for are signs of liver inflammation and / or the presence of the virus or antibodies against it in the blood.

Treatment and cure of Hepatitis C

In most cases, treatment is performed on an outpatient basis, with bed rest and medication for symptoms that the patient may present.

Good hydration is recommended by drinking plenty of fluids and avoid taking toxic products that can increase liver inflammation such as alcohol or certain drugs such as paracetamol among many others. Also, a low-fat diet is recommended to avoid digestive problems like vomiting. Severe cases in which signs of liver failure are observed (alteration of its function) require hospital admission for treatment.

Treatment of the chronic hepatitis C requires the use of antiviral drugs to prevent replication of the virus within the liver and should be prescribed by the patient's regular doctor.

Disease prevention

There is no vaccine against the hepatitis C virus. Infected people or those who live with people infected with the hepatitis C virus should know and avoid the routes of contagion of the virus.