What Are the Symptoms of Hep C?
People experience hep C in different ways. They may not have any symptoms at all. In fact, symptoms of chronic hep C may not appear until advanced liver disease is already present. It is also possible to have symptoms but minimal liver damage. This is why tests of your liver’s health such as enzyme levels in your blood, other blood tests, a liver ultrasound, or a liver biopsy are important.
Remember: how you are feeling does not always match up with the severity of your condition. If you wait to experience symptoms before you start treatment, your liver may already be severely damaged.
Symptoms that may be related to chronic hep C include (but are not limited to):
Fatigue
Flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, and headaches
Nausea, aversion to certain foods, unexplained weight loss
Psychological disorders, including depression
Tenderness in the abdomen
Jaundice
These and other symptoms may be related to your condition. Many of them may also occur as the side effects of treatment. Talk to your doctor or nurse about how you are feeling and what it may mean for your future health.
Treatment Options
The standard treatment for hep C is pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. It is the most advanced, most successful course of action that medical science has yet found for fighting hep C. For a significant percentage of patients, pegylated interferon works—clearing the virus from their blood and/or making a real difference in their liver health.
Combination therapy using pegylated interferon and ribavirin can get rid of the virus in up to 5 out of 10 persons with genotype 1 and in up to 8 out of 10 persons with genotype 2 and 3.
What we call “interferon” is a protein, and it’s no stranger to the human body. In fact, your body naturally produces interferon and makes even more when it tries to fight off an intruder, such as a virus. You’ve experienced this if you’ve ever had the flu. When you have the flu, your body makes extra interferon to defeat the virus that’s causing the illness. It’s this extra interferon that also causes symptoms like fever, nausea, and fatigue.
People with chronic hep C may inject extra interferon into their bodies to help fight the virus. While the interferon that’s used for injection may be slightly different from the kind your body makes, it helps the body defeat the virus in 3 ways:
Interferon attaches to healthy cells and helps them defend themselves against the virus.
The medication helps the immune system to stop the virus from multiplying.
Interferon also helps the body get rid of infected cells while preventing healthy cells from being infected.
Alpha interferons have been known to cause severe side effects, including new or worsening mental health problems such as depression, trouble breathing, chest pain, high fever, or worsening of certain immune-type diseases such as psoriasis. These disorders generally resolve after stopping therapy.
Pegylation is the process of attaching 1 or more chains of a substance called polyethylene glycol (also known as PEG) to a protein molecule such as interferon. Since the body does not react to PEG, it helps provide a protective barrier around an attached protein so it can survive in the body longer.
When used with medications, this barrier may help provide benefits over molecules that are not pegylated. In the case of pegylated interferon, it stays in the bloodstream longer and is cleared by the body more slowly. That’s what makes once-a-week treatment possible. It also may account for the higher rates of sustained virologic response seen in patients whose chronic hep C infections were treated with this pegylated interferon compared to nonpegylated interferon.
Treatment Options
The standard treatment for hep C is pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. It is the most advanced, most successful course of action that medical science has yet found for fighting hep C. For a significant percentage of patients, pegylated interferon works—clearing the virus from their blood and/or making a real difference in their liver health.
Combination therapy using pegylated interferon and ribavirin can get rid of the virus in up to 5 out of 10 persons with genotype 1 and in up to 8 out of 10 persons with genotype 2 and 3.
What we call “interferon” is a protein, and it’s no stranger to the human body. In fact, your body naturally produces interferon and makes even more when it tries to fight off an intruder, such as a virus. You’ve experienced this if you’ve ever had the flu. When you have the flu, your body makes extra interferon to defeat the virus that’s causing the illness. It’s this extra interferon that also causes symptoms like fever, nausea, and fatigue.
People with chronic hep C may inject extra interferon into their bodies to help fight the virus. While the interferon that’s used for injection may be slightly different from the kind your body makes, it helps the body defeat the virus in 3 ways:
Interferon attaches to healthy cells and helps them defend themselves against the virus.
The medication helps the immune system to stop the virus from multiplying.
Interferon also helps the body get rid of infected cells while preventing healthy cells from being infected.
Alpha interferons have been known to cause severe side effects, including new or worsening mental health problems such as depression, trouble breathing, chest pain, high fever, or worsening of certain immune-type diseases such as psoriasis. These disorders generally resolve after stopping therapy.
Pegylation is the process of attaching 1 or more chains of a substance called polyethylene glycol (also known as PEG) to a protein molecule such as interferon. Since the body does not react to PEG, it helps provide a protective barrier around an attached protein so it can survive in the body longer.
When used with medications, this barrier may help provide benefits over molecules that are not pegylated. In the case of pegylated interferon, it stays in the bloodstream longer and is cleared by the body more slowly. That’s what makes once-a-week treatment possible. It also may account for the higher rates of sustained virologic response seen in patients whose chronic hep C infections were treated with this pegylated interferon compared to nonpegylated interferon.
Treatment Options
The standard treatment for hep C is pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. It is the most advanced, most successful course of action that medical science has yet found for fighting hep C. For a significant percentage of patients, pegylated interferon works—clearing the virus from their blood and/or making a real difference in their liver health.
Combination therapy using pegylated interferon and ribavirin can get rid of the virus in up to 5 out of 10 persons with genotype 1 and in up to 8 out of 10 persons with genotype 2 and 3.
What we call “interferon” is a protein, and it’s no stranger to the human body. In fact, your body naturally produces interferon and makes even more when it tries to fight off an intruder, such as a virus. You’ve experienced this if you’ve ever had the flu. When you have the flu, your body makes extra interferon to defeat the virus that’s causing the illness. It’s this extra interferon that also causes symptoms like fever, nausea, and fatigue.
People with chronic hep C may inject extra interferon into their bodies to help fight the virus. While the interferon that’s used for injection may be slightly different from the kind your body makes, it helps the body defeat the virus in 3 ways:
Interferon attaches to healthy cells and helps them defend themselves against the virus.
The medication helps the immune system to stop the virus from multiplying.
Interferon also helps the body get rid of infected cells while preventing healthy cells from being infected.
Alpha interferons have been known to cause severe side effects, including new or worsening mental health problems such as depression, trouble breathing, chest pain, high fever, or worsening of certain immune-type diseases such as psoriasis. These disorders generally resolve after stopping therapy.
Pegylation is the process of attaching 1 or more chains of a substance called polyethylene glycol (also known as PEG) to a protein molecule such as interferon. Since the body does not react to PEG, it helps provide a protective barrier around an attached protein so it can survive in the body longer.
When used with medications, this barrier may help provide benefits over molecules that are not pegylated. In the case of pegylated interferon, it stays in the bloodstream longer and is cleared by the body more slowly. That’s what makes once-a-week treatment possible. It also may account for the higher rates of sustained virologic response seen in patients whose chronic hep C infections were treated with this pegylated interferon compared to nonpegylated interferon.
no it is not similar to aids becoz you can get these disease if you have an sex interaction w/ the carrier!
2006-09-13 02:40:22
·
answer #1
·
answered by cutie gurl23 2
·
2⤊
0⤋
My answer is about the viral particle, as the term Hepatitis refers to the disease itself and you are not. The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a small (55-65 nm) in size, enveloped, positive single strand RNA virus in the family flavivinande. Although Hepatitis A,B,and C all have similar names, they do all cause different Hepatitis and liver inflammation disease. They are all both distinctly different genetically and clinically. Unlike both types A and B, type C doesn't have a life saving vaccination either. Not until 2007 was a potential World Wide Distribution of a preventative vaccine with the only animal HCV study involved being the Chimpanzee. Hopefully sometime soon a vaccine for humans will be found and approved that works too. Good luck and God Bless.
2016-03-26 23:10:58
·
answer #2
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
Many people with chronic hepatitis C have no symptoms of liver disease. If no symptoms are present, they are usually mild, nonspecific, and intermittent. They may include.
Fatigue
mild right-upper-quadrant or tenderness(liver pain)
Nausea
Poor appetite
muscle and joint pains
Similarly, the physical exam is likely to be normal or show only mild enlargement of the liver or tenderness. Some patients have vascular spiders or palmar erythema.
Physical findings of cirrhosis may include
Enlarged liver
Enlarged spleen
jaundice
muscle wasting
exoriations
ascites
ankle swelling
There are some drugs that can cure hepatits c but there is only a 50 percent chance of curing it. And you can get very sick while doing the treatment.
2006-09-13 02:57:07
·
answer #3
·
answered by ~*á?¦Kileaá?¦*~ 5
·
2⤊
0⤋
Fatigue
Flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, and headaches
Nausea, aversion to certain foods, unexplained weight loss
Psychological disorders, including depression
Tenderness in the abdomen
Jaundice
These and other symptoms may be related to your condition. Many of them may also occur as the side effects of treatment. Talk to your doctor or nurse about how you are feeling and what it may mean for your future health.
Treatment Options
The standard treatment for hep C is pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. It is the most advanced, most successful course of action that medical science has yet found for fighting hep C. For a significant percentage of patients, pegylated interferon works—clearing the virus from their blood and/or making a real difference in their liver health.
Combination therapy using pegylated interferon and ribavirin can get rid of the virus in up to 5 out of 10 persons with genotype 1 and in up to 8 out of 10 persons with genotype 2 and 3.
What we call “interferon” is a protein, and it’s no stranger to the human body. In fact, your body naturally produces interferon and makes even more when it tries to fight off an intruder, such as a virus. You’ve experienced this if you’ve ever had the flu. When you have the flu, your body makes extra interferon to defeat the virus that’s causing the illness. It’s this extra interferon that also causes symptoms like fever, nausea, and fatigue.
People with chronic hep C may inject extra interferon into their bodies to help fight the virus. While the interferon that’s used for injection may be slightly different from the kind your body makes, it helps the body defeat the virus in 3 ways:
Interferon attaches to healthy cells and helps them defend themselves against the virus.
The medication helps the immune system to stop the virus from multiplying.
Interferon also helps the body get rid of infected cells while preventing healthy cells from being infected.
Alpha interferons have been known to cause severe side effects, including new or worsening mental health problems such as depression, trouble breathing, chest pain, high fever, or worsening of certain immune-type diseases such as psoriasis. These disorders generally resolve after stopping therapy.
Pegylation is the process of attaching 1 or more chains of a substance called polyethylene glycol (also known as PEG) to a protein molecule such as interferon. Since the body does not react to PEG, it helps provide a protective barrier around an attached protein so it can survive in the body longer
2006-09-13 02:53:17
·
answer #4
·
answered by Anonymous
·
1⤊
1⤋
symptoms vary for each individual.
mine were:
rash on chest (broken capillaries) age 8
bones and joints aching and hurting and tender chronic started at age 12 (fibro)
depression all through out starting at age 13
lethargy (increased as i got older was sleeping 18 or more hours a day towards finding out it was HCV)
gastrointeritis age 17
irregular periods (age 12 and up)
hair loss (off an on)
upper right quadrant pain (off and on)
skin rashes (varied) shingles on leg age 30
rash on hand for 5 years (small clusters of puss filled nodules)
brain fog, anxiety attacks (panic) age 32
hepatitis c has many symptoms, yet doctors treat them all individually in many because standard blood labs do not always show an increase in ALT and AST levels as per natural occurance with HCV chronicity.
some symptoms go away after succesful antiviral chemotherapy, some do not (my brain fog remained)
As for HCV being more common than that of AIDS? YES. It out ranks AIDS by 4 to 1.
Yes, HCV can be deadly, but in certain circumstances it is curable, ie, meaning a sustained viral response due to antiviral chemotherapy.
*NOTE- Pamela Anderson is in comeplete denial of her disease.
HCV lives and damages are worse everyday she chooses not to treat it with conventional medicine.
Herbs DO NOT cure HCV. It is merely a way of life if you choose to live with HCV. Enzyme levels may improve on herbal remedies, flushing ect, but the VIRUS still does its' damage!
good luck.
2006-09-13 06:52:39
·
answer #5
·
answered by Stephanie 6
·
4⤊
0⤋
1
2017-02-17 19:44:48
·
answer #6
·
answered by ? 4
·
0⤊
0⤋
Only around one in four people will have symptoms during the first six months of a hepatitis C infection. This stage is known as acute hepatitis C.
The symptoms may include:
a high temperature of 38oC (100.4oF) or above
tiredness
loss of appetite
stomach pains
feeling sick
being sick
Researchers have found numerous ways to improvise the action of common home remedies & developed proven systems to help liver with a guarantee.Find here how people cured fatty liver at:http://adola.net/go/fattyliver-bible/
2014-07-17 15:43:08
·
answer #7
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
You will feel sleepy as if you were in your first months pregnant.
You can live with it for a long time, but it can harm your liver and kidney, your general condition will deteriorate and it is very likely that you will die earlier then without the desease.
Let's hope you don't have it.
2006-09-13 02:30:48
·
answer #8
·
answered by Vage Centurian 3
·
1⤊
1⤋
First symptoms are a positive blood test. There are few symptoms until it gets terminal.
Hep C leads to liver cancer which kills. That is the problem with Hep C.
There are a number of experimental treatments simular to cancer treatment with Interferon and chemo. I have a friend who is now blood test negative after having had it for 15 yrs and going thru the treatment.
2006-09-13 02:31:31
·
answer #9
·
answered by campojoe 4
·
0⤊
3⤋
http://www.natap.org/hepc.htm
Hep C is deadly, but you can live with it.
Pam Anderson has had it for a long time.
It has a tendency to become chronic and destroy your liver.
First symptoms are fatigue, jaundice, and hepatomegaly.
2006-09-13 02:32:47
·
answer #10
·
answered by PreviouslyChap 6
·
1⤊
0⤋
being tired all the time,sleeping alot,headaches,joint pain..,check out the many hepc sites and it goes into more detail,please get checked asap ok?I was recently diagnosed in Nov and had it for many many years without knowing.
2006-09-13 02:37:37
·
answer #11
·
answered by halfbright 5
·
2⤊
1⤋