BILANG BABALA SA ATING MGA KABABAYAN MAG-INGAT SA SAKIT. Kung mgakasakit tayo ng mga ganitong sakit, masisira ang ating mga pangarap.
Kaya talakayin natin ang tungkol sa hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C Overview
Hepatitis is a general term that means inflammation of the liver. This inflammation can be caused by contagious diseases such as viral infections. Hepatitis can also be caused by exposure to alcohol, certain medications, chemicals, poisons, and other toxins, or by other diseases. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the many viruses that can cause inflammation of the liver.
Inflammation of the liver caused by infection with HCV is referred to as hepatitis C.
- If the infection does not resolve, it becomes chronic (ongoing, long term) and can cause chronic liver disease, which can be serious or even fatal.
- Approximately 75% to 85% of people infected with hepatitis C develop chronic hepatitis C. Many live normal lives, but some develop significant liver damage over several years.
- If the disease progresses to liver failure (end stage liver disease), then liver transplant is the only treatment.
- Hepatitis C is an increasing public health concern in the United States and throughout the world.
- HCV is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease in the United States and the most common cause of chronic viral hepatitis.
- It is believed that there are 17,000 new (acute) cases of hepatitis C in the United States each year. Hepatitis C is the leading viral cause of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and liver cancer.
- HCV is responsible for 8,000 to 10,000 deaths per year in the United States.
More than 3 million people in the United States have antibodies to HCV, meaning they have been infected with the virus at some point; as many as half of them do not know they have the infection.
Hepatitis C Symptoms
Acute infection: When a person becomes infected with hepatitis C, there are often no initial symptoms.
- Approximately 80% of newly infected patients are asymptomatic.
- The remaining 20% of newly infected patients have symptoms that includefatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, or a condition known as yellowjaundice. Jaundice occurs when a yellow-colored compound called bilirubin builds up in the body, tinting the whites of the eyes and skin. At the same time, the urine may take on a dark brown 'cola' color and stools may become gray or light tan.
- These symptoms typically develop 4-12 weeks after exposure to HCV. Some people describe the symptoms as being flu-like.
Chronic Infection: Most of the time, the body's immune system cannot 'cure' itself of the virus. Among people who acquire HCV, approximately 75% to 85% will fail to clear it from their bodies and will become chronically infected. Most chronically infected people do not have symptoms or have only vague symptoms such as fatigue. However, even asymptomatic patients may have active or progressive liver damage.
Chronic hepatitis C can lead to scarring or 'cirrhosis' of the liver, a condition also associated with alcoholism. Cirrhosis is a condition in which the healthy liver tissue is replaced by fibrous tissue, followed by scar-like hardening. As this happens, the liver gradually begins to fail, or looses its ability to carry out its normal functions. Of the chronically infected people, 15% to 30% will eventually develop cirrhosis, often 20 to 30 years after the initial infection. Eventually, symptoms develop. Symptoms of cirrhosis include the following:
- Fluid retention causing swelling of the belly (ascites), legs (edema), or whole body (anasarca)
- Persistent jaundice
- Fatigue
- Disturbances in sleeping
- Itchy skin
- Loss of appetite, weight loss, wasting
- Vomiting with blood in the vomit
- Mental disturbances such as confusion, lethargy, extreme sleepiness, or hallucinations (hepatic encephalopathy)
Hepatitis C Treatment
Hepatitis C Self-Care at Home
If the affected person has symptoms, these measures will help them feel better faster.
- Take it easy; get plenty of rest.
- Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
- Do not drink alcohol of any kind, includingbeer, wine, and hard liquor.
- Avoid medicines and substances that can cause harm to the liver such asacetaminophen (Tylenol) and other preparations that contain acetaminophen.
- Avoid prolonged, vigorous exercise until symptoms start to improve.
Hepatitis C Medical Treatment
If the patient is dehydrated, the health care practitioner may prescribe intravenous fluids to help the patient feel better.
If the patient is experiencing significant nausea and vomiting, he or she will receive medicines to help control these symptoms.
If the patient's symptoms are well controlled, they can be cared for at home. If dehydration or other symptoms are severe or if the patient is showing signs of confusion or delirium, then they may be hospitalized.
Medications are available to help eliminate HCV from the body or reduce its effects.
- Decisions to start medications for the treatment of hepatitis C are usually made in consultation with a gastroenterologist or liver specialist (hepatologist). The medications have side effects and are expensive. Their use must be balanced against the fact that only 15% to 30% of patients will develop cirrhosis. Thus, most physicians only treat patients at high risk for cirrhosis.
- The decision to treat is based on symptoms, the results of lab tests of liver function, results of viral load tests for HCV, and liver biopsy, and on the person's age and general medical condition.
- The goal of treatment is to suppress the virus so much that it becomes undetectable in the blood. Some patients who have undetectable levels appear to have cleared the virus permanently. Others may relapse over weeks to months.
- Treatment is much more complicated if the patient has other serious medical conditions such as heart failure or HIV/AIDS.
Certain medical conditions preclude the use of some HCV medications:
- Depression and certain other mental and neurologic disorders
- Active alcohol or drug abuse
- Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or psoriasis
- Low blood hemoglobin level (anemia) or blood cell counts
- Cirrhosis that is severe enough to cause symptoms such as jaundice, wasting, fluid retention that causes swelling, or mental disturbances.
Hepatitis C Medications
- Patients are treated with a combination of an injectable medicine called pegylated interferon alpha (Pegasys, PEG-Intron) and an oral antiviral drug called ribavirin(Virazole). Treatment continues for weeks or months; the exact duration of treatment depends on the response and results of blood tests.
- Recently, a new class of medications called protease inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of genotype type 1 HCV. Examples include telaprevir (Incivek) and boceprevir (Victrelis). These medications are given along with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. In some cases, adding a protease inhibitor can shorten the overall duration of treatment.
Most people tolerate these drugs, although side effects are common. Side effects may be mild or debilitating. Women taking these medications for HCV should avoid getting pregnant during treatment. Common side effects of HCV treatment include the following:
- Fatigue
- Low hemoglobin level in the blood (anemia) or low blood cell counts
- Muscle aches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Mild fevers
- Depression
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Weight loss
- Itching
- Skin rash
- Sinus congestion and cough
These medications can have other, less common side effects that may be serious. The patient should discuss these with their health care provider before starting treatment.
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