Hepatitis C: A Chronic Perspective Of The Facts

I've never been one to hide things about myself, but for the last four years I have directly avoided almost all health subjects due to this fact: I have Chronic Viral Hepatitis C. I avoided this not because I was trying to hide it...I judiciously inform everyone I work with so as to help in the case of my getting injured, and I do often. It isn't my intent to inadvertently infect someone else, and in my online presence this has been a non-issue. Up until a few years ago I regularly visited doctors to have my liver enzymes checked, (I'll explain this test later,) and until the same point had experienced very few problems with any of the symptoms.

In this Hub I will explain what Hepatitis C is and what is known about the genotypes at this point. I will include treatments, both traditional and the new drugs that are being developed. And the facts...as published, (refs will be given at the end,) and a view of the facts through my eyes. I will try to explain a disease in the language that you will understand, not what the doctors would make you dizzy with.

Hepatitis is a blood disease that attacks the liver, there are 5 forms, A, B, C, D, and E. Some forms of Hepatitis, A and B, can easily be cured today. There has been some limited successes in curing certain Genomes of Hepatitis C [HCV,] of which there are 6, numbered from 1 through 6. Using a drug regimen of Interferon and Ribavirin is the most commonly used form of treatment, but cure rates are low, and when the patient is undergoing treatment (some for up to 12 weeks,) the patient experiences more of the symptoms of the disease.

Many get the disease through IV drug abuse, and many more got it through blood transfusions, but there are other ways to get it. HCV can be contracted through unprotected sex, or even a straw used for cocaine. It is known that a baby can contract the disease from the mother while in the womb, but this is more commonly associated to Hepatitis A or B. One other thing is that infection through medical channels has become rare due to testing of medical supplies.

In the U.S. HCV infected outnumber HIV infected by four to one. That is: For every 100 people with HIV, there are 400 people with HCV.More than 4 million people have it, and 75% of those infected with HCV don't even know they have it. Most won't even experience any kind of symptoms until far after the disease has done major damage to the liver. In many of those patients, the Hepatitis C could have been cured if discovered before the disease had reached the chronic stage. When it is left untreated 85% become chronic and incurable.

HCV seriously increases the risk of liver cancer, and almost all chronic HCV will have cirrhosis of the liver. HCV is the leading cause of liver transplants in the U.S. and more than 12,000 people will die from it in this year alone. Finally, HCV is most prevalent in those born from 1946 to 1964...I guess the hippie era was more destructive than we all realized.

If I use a term here that is a little complicated, I will attempt to put the term into "people speak." This is what I like to refer to as "layman's terms...simplified." The actual term for the idea as stated I will enclose in brackets, [].

When hepatitis C enters the bloodstream, it starts immediately multiplying. 1 divides to two, etc. [viral replication,] 1 will make 2, which makes 4, which makes 8...and so on.[exponential.] All this multiplying by doubling happens very fast. Once the virus had a good firm hold on your bloodstream, it has already inhabited you liver, not to mention the rest of the organs in your body, but the liver is where the most damage occurs, the remaining organ damage that occurs (for the most part) is collateral damage. HCV is measured in the bloodstream using a ration called the viral load. This can be in IU [international units] or number of replications [copies] in every milliliter of blood, [copies/mL.]

Now that the virus has inhabited the liver, it will start to attack the liver cells then the liver will swell, [an inflamed liver,] after a time, with the damage done by the swelling, scarring will  begin, [fibrosis.] Massive amounts of scarring is called Cirrhosis of the liver and this often culminates in the development of cancer and many other health problems.

There are a lot of symptoms that go along with HCV. Most symptoms during the first 6 months or so, [the acute phase,] aren't severe, and in many cases aren't even noticed by the infected person. This time of no, or light symptoms can also last for years [asymptomatic,] for myself it lasted for more than 12 years. I started experiencing the symptoms [I became symptomatic,] 3 years ago, and as time goes on the symptoms may increase in frequency and severity. Here a few of the more commonly reported symptoms:

Acute Phase: Often the symptoms experienced during the this phase aren't even noticed.

• Flu-like symptoms (fevers, muscle aches, and night sweats)
• Tiredness that never goes away, [chronic fatigue.]
• Area around the liver will become sensitive to the touch.

Chronic Phase: Goes along with the above symptoms, level of severity varies, and often increases over time.

• Yellowing of the skin, or whites of the eyes, [Jaundice.]
• loss of interest in sex and appetite.
• Nausea and diarrhea.
• Headaches and depression.
• Swelling of the lymph nodes
• Trouble sleeping
• Liver or Kidney pains, (feeling like you have been hit or kicked in the area of the organ.

There are other symptoms that go along with this disease, and with every person the level of severity will vary. Some people never even experience any kind of symptoms at all. This is because the disease can take years to do the damage, and with the damage occurring in such small increments the symptoms may be so small that they aren't even noticed.

HCV isn't an illness that is contracted easily. But, that doesn't mean you can't get it, in fact the less you pay attention to these rules the more likely you are to catch it if you are around a person that already has it. Here are the basic rules that my wife and myself follow and after 8 years she still has not contracted it.

• Do not touch an infected person's blood, or blood products.
• Check your artist or piercing shop for proper safety equipment.
• If you work in a field where you are exposed to other peoples blood follow all the safety rules that went with your training. Gloves, face shield, etc.
• Don't share things like razors, trimmers, and toothbrushes.
• Cover open wounds, and if in doubt as to whether the item may have blood on it, don't use it.

For the most part, most HCV patients don't want to infect someone else. I personally make it a point to let everyone I work around and anyone near when there is a risk of my spreading the infection...but, not every person is this diligent. If you have come into contact with infected blood, or believe yourself to be displaying any of the symptoms go get checked by a doctor, it is a simple blood test, that cold keep you from inadvertently spreading a slow killer.