Hepatitis C is a liver infection. There are millions of people all over the world which suffer from this disease. Hepatitis C has a few symptoms which mean that often it does undetected. Hepatitis C occurs is in various forms. However, the most common type is Type 1 virus. The different types are not gauged on the basis of its seriousness but on their behavior with regard to treatment.
Who does one get hepatitis C?
Just like most viruses, this virus also spreads through the blood and bodily fluids of the infected person. More common and specifically, people catch hepatitis C if they share drugs or needles, having sex with the infected person, being struck by needles which contain the virus and also through childbirth where the child gets infected by the mother. In light of all these risk factors, people who have received blood from a donor who has this disease, have ever injected drugs, were born between 1945 and 1965 or those who had a family member affected by this disease should get a checkup to check for the presence of the virus.
How is it treated?
Hepatitis C treatments have changed a lot in recent years. The latest is a once-daily pill called Harvoni that cures the disease in most people in 8-12 weeks. It combines two drugs: sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) and ledipasvir. In clinical trials, the most common side effects were fatigue and headache. However, medicine is expensive.
Can it be prevented?
Hepatitis C virus can be prevented from entering your system by a number of precautions. These include. Using a latex condom during sexual activity, never sharing your personal equipment such as razor and toothbrush, exercising extreme caution when getting your body tattooed because the equipment can have someone else’s blood on it.
