Hepatitis C

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Hepatitis

C

Home Treatment

The following are steps you

can take that may help you feel better if you have hepatitis C infection.

Slow down

a.. Reduce your activity

level if you feel tired.

b.. Exercise if you feel

up to it; aerobic exercise can help you feel stronger and can improve

depression caused by the infection and antiviral treatment.

Eat right

a.. Even though food may

not appeal to you at times, it is important to get adequate nutrition. For most

people, nausea and loss of appetite don't set in until later in the day, so try

eating your largest meal early in the day and lighter meals later on.

b.. Doctors used to

recommend a high-calorie, protein-rich diet to people who have hepatitis. This

is no longer believed to be of any benefit, and such foods can be hard to eat

when you feel nauseated. Try to maintain a balanced diet while eating foods

that appeal to you.

Avoid alcohol and drugs

Hepatitis impairs your

liver's ability to break down medications and alcohol. The effects of drugs

(legal or illegal) and alcohol may be more powerful and last longer when you

have hepatitis. In addition, alcohol, some medications, and certain herbal

remedies can increase the risk of developing serious liver damage.

Make sure your doctor knows

all the medications you are taking, including herbal products. Do not take any

new medications or stop taking existing prescription medications without your

doctor's approval.

Avoid alcohol until your

doctor tells you it is safe to resume use.

Try to control itching.....

WOW this really bothers

Me,my MD called it Dermography,I can write my name on my Skin and it willl

show up in about 45 sec.'s and bother me all day until I take somthing,any of

the below Help.

People with hepatitis

sometimes develop itchy skin. You can use nonprescription medications, such as

diphenhydramine (for example, Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine (for example,

Chlor-Trimeton), to control itching. Talk with your doctor before taking these

medications.

If you take nonprescription

medicines for itchiness, follow the instructions provided with the product, and

stop using the product if you have any side effects.

Seek help for depression

Depression may occur in

anyone who has a long-term (chronic) illness. With hepatitis C infection,

depression also may develop as a side effect of antiviral therapy. If you are

feeling depressed, talk to your doctor about treatment. Antidepressant

medications can provide relief. You also can seek counseling for support.

Hepatitis C

What Happens

People who acquire hepatitis

C virus (HCV) infection first enter an early (acute) stage. Most will go on to

develop long-term (chronic) infection. The outcome of chronic infection varies

widely. Some people will have only mild liver inflammation, while others

develop severe liver damage.

Acute phase of hepatitis C

virus infection

Most people have no symptoms

shortly after they have been infected with HCV. However, mild symptoms may

occur, such as constant tiredness, dark urine, nausea, abdominal discomfort,

and fever.

Unless you develop jaundice

or you know you have been exposed to someone with hepatitis C, it is unlikely

you would see a doctor when you have acute hepatitis C. If symptoms do occur,

they may be blamed on the flu. They usually go away on their own after a few

weeks.

Chronic phase of HCV

infection

A health professional

diagnoses chronic hepatitis C if you have been exposed to the virus and have

evidence of infection for at least 6 months. See the Exams and Tests section of

this topic for more information.

About 80% of people infected

with HCV develop chronic infection, which lasts for many years and often never

goes away.5 Most people with chronic infection have some degree of liver

inflammation all the time, but they rarely have symptoms unless they have a

flare-up.

Up to 20% of people with

chronic HCV infection develop major scarring of the liver (cirrhosis). It may

take 20 to 30 years or longer for severe liver damage to develop.

Certain factors may speed up

the progression of liver disease in people who are infected with HCV. The risk

of developing cirrhosis increases with age, male gender, alcohol use, tobacco

use, and co-infection with HIV or the hepatitis B virus. Factors associated

with increased risk of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) are cirrhosis,

age, male gender, and alcohol abuse.7

If HCV-related liver disease

becomes severe and the liver no longer can function well (end-stage liver

failure), a person will need a liver transplant to prolong life.

Other body systems affected

by hepatitis C

In addition to causing liver

damage, hepatitis C may play a role in the development of:

a.. A disorder that makes

the skin sensitive to sunlight (porphyria cutanea tarda).

b.. A skin disease that

causes itchy, inflamed bumps or papules (lichen planus).

c.. Inflammation of the

salivary glands (sialadenitis).

d.. Abnormal amounts of a

certain blood protein that can damage or block blood vessels

(cryoglobulinemia).

e.. Kidney disease

(membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis).

f.. Rheumatoid symptoms.

g.. A disorder that causes

itchy, dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca).

h.. Thinning of the clear

covering (cornea) of the eye (n's ulcer).

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