What is hepatitis C

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, a large organ located in the right hypochondrium. There are many factors that can cause hepatitis, for example, alcohol consumption, taking certain medications or infection with certain viruses.

Hepatitis C is a disease that is caused by the hepatitis C virus. With this disease, the liver is mainly affected, but other important organs, such as the kidneys or thyroid gland, can also be damaged. If, after infection with the hepatitis C virus, the human body could not cope with it on its own and the virus continues to multiply for more than 6 months, then the disease has turned into a chronic form. Chronic hepatitis C occurs quite often, on average in 3 out of 4 people. Every fourth person has the disease on their own and often a person finds out about it accidentally after many years.

What is important to know about hepatitis C virus?

A virus is a tiny particle that can only be seen with an electron microscope. Viruses can reproduce only in living cells. Outside of a living organism, viruses usually die quickly. The hepatitis C virus is a piece of genetic material (ribonucleic acid, or RNA) surrounded by a protein shell and an additional outer shell. As a result of the reproduction of the virus in human liver cells (hepatocytes), their function is disrupted and they may die, and the viruses that have emerged from them will continue to infect more and more cells. The virus is usually denoted by the Latin letters ISU, which means Hepatitis C Virus - hepatitis C virus.

How can I get infected with the hepatitis C virus?

The hepatitis C virus is found in large quantities in the blood and other biological fluids of an infected person. Infection most often occurs when the blood of an infected person gets into the blood or on the damaged skin (mucous membranes) of another person. People who inject drugs have the highest risk of hepatitis C virus infection. Infection is possible during tattooing, piercing, cosmetic procedures, manicure or pedicure, if non-sterile needles or other tools are used in salons. At home, you can get infected by using common razors (with blades), manicure (pedicure) accessories with other family members. Blood particles can remain on the surface of instruments, and in the case of microtrauma, the virus can get into the wound and cause disease. The hepatitis C virus is transmitted sexually and from an infected mother to a child during pregnancy or childbirth.

What to do to prevent infection and how not to infect others?

1. Refuse to apply tattoos, piercings and unreasonable cosmetic procedures, and in case of their implementation, contact organizations that have the necessary permits to provide appropriate services, whose specialists have been trained in safe working rules and use disposable or reusable sterilized tools.
2. At home, use only your own razors, manicure (pedicure) accessories, toothbrushes, towels and other hygiene products and do not allow them to be used by other family members.
3. To prevent sexual transmission, use barrier means of protection (condoms).
4. Before planning pregnancy, women are recommended to be tested for hepatitis C virus.

How does the disease manifest itself?

In most cases, hepatitis C is hidden. An infected person feels well for a long time and, as a rule, cannot name the period when his well-being worsened (which could indicate the onset of the disease). In the early stages of the disease, some people have nonspecific symptoms (weakness, fatigue, headaches), in extremely rare cases, yellowing of the sclera ("whites of the eyes"), yellowing of the skin and itching may occur. If chronic hepatitis C remains undetected for many years, and the disease reaches the stage of cirrhosis of the liver, then more serious symptoms associated with liver dysfunction occur: weight loss, accumulation of free fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites), bleeding from the veins of the esophagus, brain dysfunction (encephalopathy).

What is dangerous about hepatitis C?

With a prolonged course of the disease (not for many years), an infected person has a replacement of normal liver tissue with connective tissue (liver fibrosis). This is a kind of scarring as a result of chronic inflammation. The final stage of fibrosis is cirrhosis of the liver, in which the structure of liver tissue is disrupted, and in severe (decompensated) cirrhosis, the function of the organ already suffers. In some patients, a malignant neoplasm (hepatocellular carcinoma) may occur against the background of cirrhosis of the liver, so it is important for all people with chronic hepatitis C to be monitored by a doctor and regularly undergo the necessary examinations.

Some patients have extrahepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C in the form of diseases of the kidneys, skin, thyroid gland, disorders in the blood system.

How to detect the disease?

Hepatitis C can be detected only with the help of special studies, which can be divided into 3 groups:

1. blood tests that indicate current infection with the virus or previously transmitted hepatitis C;

2. blood tests that reflect inflammation in the liver, as well as liver function;
3. studies that help to assess the size of the liver, the condition of its tissue and other abdominal organs.

The main value belongs to the first group. These are primarily tests for antibodies that are produced in the body in response to the appearance of the virus. To denote antibodies, the prefix anti- is more often used. It looks completely like this: anti-HCV. Antibodies come in two classes - IgG and IgM (Ig - immunoglobulin - immunoglobulin is the Latin name for antibodies). The main class of antibodies are anti-HCV IgG, which are produced in both acute and chronic hepatitis C. An analysis for anti-HCV IgG (sometimes only anti-HCV is indicated) is performed for all patients when they want to check if they have hepatitis C. These antibodies are also found in those who have previously had hepatitis C and recovered independently or in those who have recovered as a result of taking special antiviral drugs. Therefore, if a person has a positive test for anti-HCV, this is not enough to establish a diagnosis of hepatitis C. A comprehensive examination is necessary, which must necessarily include a blood test for virus RNA. There are qualitative and quantitative analyses for hepatitis C virus RNA. A positive qualitative analysis indicates the presence of the virus in the body. Quantitative - on its level, that is, the concentration in the blood.

Laboratory and instrumental studies necessary for the diagnosis of hepatitis C are prescribed by a doctor.

Is it possible to cure chronic hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C has been a curable disease for many years. Taking a course of special antiviral drugs leads to the complete removal (elimination) of the virus from the human body and recovery from hepatitis C. Most patients may be prescribed tablet medications for 2-3 months at a later time. But it is important to remember that the treatment of hepatitis C has many features, so only a doctor should prescribe drugs. A person who has successfully recovered from hepatitis C cannot infect other people.