Hepatitis Overview, Types, Prevention, Treatment, Medicines: 2016-09-25

10 Essential Facts About Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that damages your liver over time. A chronic infection can lead to serious scarring of the liver called cirrhosis, as well as liver cancer and liver failure. Hepatitis C treatment used to be a lengthy process that was not very effective. Now, groundbreaking new medicines have turned the viral infection into a curable condition; hepatitis C is considered "cured" when the virus is not detectable at 12 and 24 weeks after treatment ends.

Here are 10 essential facts you should know about hepatitis C:

Hepatitis C affects millions of Americans. About 2.7 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C.
The most common hepatitis C strain in the United States is genotype 1. The hepatitis C virus is diverse and includes six commonly-seen types. About 75 percent of hepatitis C cases here are genotype 1, and 12 percent are genotype 2, with fewer cases of genotypes 3 to 6.
You might not realize you have serious liver damage. In some cases, by the time you have hepatitis C symptoms, life-threatening damage has already occurred.
The hepatitis C virus is spread by contact with infected blood. Healthcare workers accidentally stuck with contaminated needles and babies born to hepatitis-infected mothers are among those at risk. Sharing needles for drug use or getting tattoos or piercings using unsterile equipment are the typical ways of getting a new hepatitis C infection today.
All baby boomers need to get a hepatitis C test.
There is no hepatitis C vaccine. A vaccine is not yet available because there are many different kinds of hepatitis C, and it’s difficult to come up with one vaccine that's effective in preventing them all. Avoiding high-risk behaviors, like sharing needles, is still the best way to avoid getting infected.
Hepatitis C treatment is advancing rapidly
If you have hepatitis C, simple precautions can protect others. Do not share personal items that could have even tiny amounts of blood, like toothbrushes, razors, clippers, etc. Clean up any spilled blood right away with a solution of bleach and water. Cover blisters or cuts with bandages, and carefully dispose of anything with blood on it, like bandages or tampons
Even after you are cured of the virus, you still need checkups
A liver transplant is not a cure for hepatitis C. Even after a liver transplant, medication is needed to remove Hepatitis virus. It's possible to become infected again.