Take over-the-counter medication as recommended by your provider. Avoid spicy or acidic foods. Take over-the-counter medications like loperamide Immodium or psyllium Metamucil as recommended by your provider. Cough Use a humidifier. Drink more water or non-caffeinated drinks.
Suck on cough drops or sugar-free hard candy. Avoid taking long, hot showers since that dries out your skin. Moisturize daily after showers with unscented lotion for dry skin. Use unscented laundry detergent for sensitive skin. Apply sunscreen when needed. Use over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams or other anti-itch medications as recommended by your provider.
Rash could be a sign of an allergic reaction, which can become severe. If a rash develops, immediately report this to your Hepatitis C provider.
Managing Your Health While on Treatment. General dietary recommendations include the following: Maintain a healthy caloric intake Eat whole grain breads and cereals Get enough protein supplement with protein drinks if necessary Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day; eating things of varying colors can provide a range of nutrients. Limit your intake of salty, sugary and fatty foods Drink enough fluids generally glasses day. In addition to water, you can include juice, tea, milk, soup, and frozen fruit bars.
Below are some strategies to help you: Find ways to relax and quiet your mind. Some people find meditation, prayer, visualization or massage to be helpful. Do something physical as a release. Dancing, biking, walking, yoga or exercise of any kind can keep you healthy and lessen stress and anger. Participate in a Hepatitis C support group. Help others; sometimes helping others is the best way to forget about your own problems. Set reasonable expectations for yourself.
Deal with issues one task at a time. What must I accomplish today? Learn to let others help you when you need it. Spend time with people who have a positive outlook on life and limit your exposure to people and places that induce negativity. These are often offered by employers, health insurance companies or community centers. Find ways to laugh. Whether you see a funny movie or spend time with a good buddy, remember that laughter is therapeutic for both body and mind.
Practice positive thinking by replacing negative thoughts with messages of hope and affirmation. Discuss your feelings with people you trust. Or consider seeking the help of a mental health professional. What about complementary therapies? Herbal medicine These are substances that come from plants. They can be taken from all parts of a plant, including the leaves, roots, flowers and berries. The following section summarizes some key findings from the NCCIH about the use of dietary supplements in people with Hepatitis C: No dietary supplement has been shown to be effective for Hepatitis C or its complications.
The results of research supported by the NIH have shown that silymarin, the active extract of milk thistle — and the most popular complementary health product taken by people with liver disease — was no more effective than placebo in people with Hepatitis C. A controlled clinical trial showed that two higher-than-usual doses of silymarin were no better than placebo in reducing the high blood levels of an enzyme that indicates liver damage.
At the end of the treatment period, blood levels of the enzyme that indicates liver damage were similar in all three groups. Colloidal silver can cause serious side effects, including a permanent bluish discoloration of the skin called argyia. Research on other dietary supplements for Hepatitis C, such as zinc, licorice root or its extract glycyrrhizin , SAMe, and lactoferrin, is in its early stages, and no firm conclusions can be reached about the potential effectiveness of these supplements.
Hepatitis C Treatment and Herbs. These include: Kava Comfrey Shark cartilage Skullcap Valerian Additionally, the following groups of people should avoid the use of herbs in general unless ordered by their medical provider: Women who are pregnant or nursing Children Organ transplant recipients People with decompensated liver cirrhosis People with a serious medical condition. Traveling While on Treatment. Keep them in their original containers with the prescription label. Make sure to bring contact information for your healthcare providers with you in case you need to contact them with a question or concern.
Keep a card in your wallet that indicates who to call in an emergency. This should include contact information for a family member and your doctor. There are a number of things you can do to improve your health and increase your chances of being able to take your medications as prescribed: Avoid alcohol and drugs.
If you cannot quit, seek help. Talk to your doctor about getting the Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccines. Aim for hours of sleep every night and rest when tired. Maintain a healthy weight. Eat healthy meals: Strive for a diet low in fat and high in fiber. Include fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid trans fatty acids and saturated fats. Avoid dietary supplements that may harm the liver, such as iron or vitamin A, kava, and valerian.
Take only the medications recommended by your doctor. Drink glasses of water per day. Exercise: Be as physically active as possible on a regular basis, balancing rest and activity.
Avoid or reduce stress. Some people find meditation, prayer, or simply a quiet walk to be helpful. Engage in activities that give you pleasure and make you laugh. Discuss your feelings with family and close friends. Join a Hepatitis C support group. You can do this by: Learning all you can about your disease and its treatment. Seek information from Hepatitis C related organizations. Getting all your medical and insurance information organized in one place. Upcoming appointments and reminders for required lab work Contact information for all your healthcare providers Health insurance information Emergency contact numbers.
What Questions Should I Ask? Do I need treatment for my Hepatitis C infection? What treatments options are available? Can I be cured of the Hepatitis C virus? What should I do to minimize damage to my liver?
Are there any over-the-counter medications or supplements I should avoid? Should my family be tested for Hepatitis C? How can I protect people around me from getting it? Where can I find out more information? Are there organizations that provide information and support? What other resources would you recommend? Is it possible to have a positive antibody but not have the actual virus?
What is my viral load? Does my viral load mean I am more or less infectious? Should my partner also seek out testing to see if exposure has happened? What kinds of medication options are there for my genotype? If I have had past exposure to Hepatitis B or have liver cancer, can you explain the black box warning I have heard about Do you need to know what my insurance company covers for treating Hepatitis C?
If my insurance declines therapy — will you be doing an appeal or will you be having a specialty pharmacy assist with the appeal process? How long will therapy be? What are the possible side effects of treatment? Can we review the medications and supplements I am taking? Are there any medications which can cause an adverse reaction with therapy? Should alcohol be avoided while on therapy? Where can I find local support groups to connect to others whom have gone through therapy? Patient Stories.
Bob R. Hepatitis C. Brian A. Carleen M. Carlette M. David R. Debbie J. Debbie P. The Progression of Liver Disease. The Healthy Liver A healthy liver has the amazing ability to grow back, or regenerate when damaged. Liver Cancer Cirrhosis and hepatitis B are leading risk factors for primary liver cancer. Liver Failure Liver failure is a life-threatening condition that demands urgent medical care. Support Groups.
Possible exposures include. No nationwide seroprevalence surveys targeting PWID have been conducted in the United States, and estimates based on smaller surveys in regional and metropolitan areas vary considerably. Limited epidemiologic data suggest an additional risk from non-injection snorted or smoked use of cocaine, but this risk is difficult to differentiate from associated injection-drug use and sex with HCV-infected partners.
Before the year that blood screening became available , blood transfusion was a leading cause of hepatitis C virus transmission 18 , As long as Standard Precautions and other infection-control practices are consistently implemented, medical and dental procedures performed in the United States generally do not pose a risk for the spread of hepatitis C.
However, hepatitis C can be spread in health-care settings when injection equipment, such as syringes, is shared between patients or when injectable medications or intravenous solutions are mishandled and become contaminated with blood. Health-care personnel should understand and adhere to Standard Precautions, which include maintaining injection safety practices aimed at reducing bloodborne pathogen risks for patients and health-care personnel.
Cases of suspected health-care-associated HCV infection should be reported to state and local public health authorities for prompt investigation and response. Hepatitis C can be spread in health-care settings 20, 21 when Standard Precautions and other infection-control practices are not consistently implemented. In the United States, health-care-associated transmission of hepatitis C has been associated with inadequate infection prevention practices during inpatient care, outpatient care, and hemodialysis.
These infection control breaches have included reuse of syringes and other failures of aseptic technique, contamination of multidose vials, and inadequate cleaning of equipment. Diversion of controlled substances for illicit use has also been associated with outbreaks Often, health-care-associated outbreaks are first detected by astute clinicians who find new infections in people without risk factors and then report cases to public health authorities.
Yes; however, transmission between household members does not occur very often. If hepatitis C is spread within a household, it is most likely a result of direct i. People with newly acquired HCV infection usually are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms that are unlikely to prompt a visit to a health-care professional. When symptoms do occur, they can include:. In those people who do develop symptoms, the average period from exposure to symptom onset is 2—12 weeks range: 2—26 weeks 13 , Most people with chronic HCV infection are asymptomatic or have non-specific symptoms such as chronic fatigue and depression.
Many eventually develop chronic liver disease, which can range from mild to severe, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Chronic liver disease in HCV-infected people is usually insidious, progressing slowly without any signs or symptoms for several decades. In fact, HCV infection is often not recognized until asymptomatic people are identified as HCV-positive when screened for blood donation or when elevated alanine aminotransferase ALT, a liver enzyme levels are detected during routine examinations.
Some people with chronic HCV infection develop medical conditions due to hepatitis C that are not limited to the liver. Such conditions can include:. CDC now recommends universal hepatitis C screening for all U. This includes. Routine periodic testing is recommended for people with ongoing risk factors, while risk factors persist, including those who currently inject drugs and share needles, syringes, or other drug preparation equipment, along with people who have certain medical conditions e.
Testing of people at risk should occur regardless of setting prevalence. In the absence of hepatitis C prevalence data in a particular practice or patient catchment area, providers and program directors should immediately begin screening all adults and all pregnant women during each pregnancy for HCV infection.
To determine the baseline prevalence, providers and program directors are encouraged to consult CDC or their state and local health departments to determine a reasonable estimate in their setting or a methodology for determining how many people they need to screen before confidently being able to establish that the prevalence is below 0. Anti-HCV seroconversion occurs an average of 8—11 weeks after exposure 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , although cases of delayed seroconversion have been documented in people who are immunosuppressed e.
People with recently acquired acute infection typically have detectable HCV RNA levels as early as 1—2 weeks after exposure to the virus However, reflex testing is not possible in every laboratory or clinical setting. People who have been very recently infected with HCV might not yet have developed antibody levels high enough to be detected by the anti-HCV test.
The window period for acute HCV infection before the detection of antibodies averages 8 to 11 weeks, with a reported range of 2 weeks to 6 months.
In addition, some people might lack the immune response necessary to develop detectable antibodies within this time range 31 , In these people, virologic testing e.
It is common for patients with chronic hepatitis C to have fluctuating liver enzyme levels, with periodic returns to normal or near normal levels. Liver enzyme levels can remain normal for over a year despite chronic liver disease CDC offers an online training that covers the serology of acute and chronic hepatitis C and other types of viral hepatitis.
Given that hepatitis C treatment has been simplified, many types of providers can effectively manage HCV-infected patients, including internal medicine and family practice physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists Specialists e. Primary-care and other types of providers wishing to manage treatment for patients with hepatitis C can learn from the Project ECHO external icon model of hepatitis C treatment delivery.
Not usually. With the advent of hepatitis C therapies that are effective against many genotypes, genotyping is no longer required prior to treatment initiation.
There is no evidence that hepatitis C can be transmitted from food handlers, teachers, or other service providers in the absence of blood-to-blood contact. With the exception of pregnant women and children under 3 years of age, people with acute hepatitis C i. There is no need to wait for potential spontaneous viral resolution. Avoiding occupational exposure to blood is the primary way to prevent transmission of bloodborne illnesses among health-care personnel. To promote blood safety in the workplace, health-care personnel should consult infectious-disease control guidance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and from CDC.
Depending on the medical procedure involved, Standard Precautions may include the appropriate use of personal protective equipment e. Although sharps injuries have decreased in recent decades due to improved prevention measures, they continue to occur, placing health-care personnel at risk for several bloodborne pathogens like hepatitis C.
A recent analysis of several studies revealed an overall 0. Updated guidelines for management and treatment of hepatitis C external icon are available to provide guidance for health-care personnel who become infected via exposure to contaminated blood at the workplace. Although a few cases of hepatitis C virus transmission via blood splash to the eye have been reported, the risk for such transmission is extremely low 35 , In a report of U.
However, it was unknown whether the HCV-antibody-positive patients had current infection at the time of exposure. Most health-care personnel infected with HCV need not modify their professional duties based on infection status, because the risk of transmission from an infected health-care provider to a patient is very low.
All health-care personnel, including those who are HCV positive, should follow a strict aseptic technique as described by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the CDC , including appropriate hand hygiene, use of protective barriers, and safe injection practices. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed May 12, Hepatitis C.
Mayberry J, et al. The revolution in treatment of hepatitis C. Medical Clinics of North America. Chopra S, et al. Clinical manifestations and natural history of chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Kim AY. Epidemiology and transmission of hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatitis C adult.
Mayo Clinic; Definition and facts of liver transplant. Jhaveri R, et al. Hepatitis C virus infection in children. Morrow ES. AllScripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic. April 16, Owens DK, et al.
Screening for hepatitis C virus infection in adolescents and adults: U. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Early hepatitis C infection: How often does it become chronic? Professional Resources. Patient Education Resources. Hepatitis A. Hepatitis B. Hepatitis C. Hepatitis D. Hepatitis E. Viral Hepatitis Home. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
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