Hepatitis C – Spread by infected pricks

Hepatitis C is a virus that causes inflammation in the liver. Hepatitis C is still present, yet the patient is ignorant of it. It is only decades later that it is detectable through normal medical exams. Hepatitis C is spread via sharing needles and contaminated blood.

Causes:

The Hepatitis virus spreads to patients after transfusion or injection of infected blood.

Symptoms:

Fatigue, nausea, stomach ache, dark coloured urine, yellow discolouration, fever, and muscle or joint symptoms occur one to three months after infection. The signs of acute infection, on the other hand, do not appear for several years. Some of the symptoms are bleeding and bruising easily, itchy skin, fluid accumulation, swelling in the legs, weight loss, forgetfulness, drowsiness, slurred speech, and spider-like blood veins on the skin (spider angiomas).

Risks & Complications:

People who work with infected blood are more likely to get Hepatitis C. Health-care workers, blood bank employees, blood transfusion specialists, and drug abusers fall under this category. Children born to moms who have Hepatitis C are also at risk of contracting the disease. The virus is propagated through piercing or tattooing in an unsanitary environment and using unsterile equipment. Cirrhosis or scarring of the liver tissue, liver cancer, and liver failure are all symptoms of Hepatitis C.

Tests & Diagnosis

Hepatitis C takes a long time to manifest in the body, and it’s frequently discovered in routine blood tests that are part of a larger blood test for another disease. The doctor may recommend detailed blood profiling to determine the viral load or quantity of the hepatitis C virus and the virus’s genetic makeup (genotyping). Furthermore, the doctor may advise that liver tissue samples be tested. The doctor uses blood tests and a liver biopsy to establish the condition’s severity and prescribe the appropriate medication.

Treatments & Drugs

Hepatitis C is treated with antiviral medicine and a liver transplant. Only when the liver is seriously damaged is a liver transplant recommended. Hepatitis C does not have a vaccination, whereas Hepatitis A and B do.