Hepatitis C: What is it?

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease of the liver caused by the RNA virus of the family Flaviviruses . The virus damages the liver and sometimes causes its destruction.

Hitherto unknown, hepatitis C was formerly called non-A non-B hepatitis.

Hepatitis C: How to get the disease?

The disease is caught by blood contacts and the means of transmission are numerous . In most cases, contamination occurs during transfusions and intravenous drug addiction .

Cases of infection have also been reported during surgical operations in some hospitals, however this is very rare thanks to strict hygiene measures and the use of single-use medical instruments .

The contamination by sexual intercourse remains very weak if the mucous membranes are healthy.

Transmission of hepatitis C from mother to child can occur during delivery, but it accounts for only 5% of cases.

Finally, for lovers of tattoos and piercings ensure that the equipment is sanitized and disposable because if necessary, it is a transmission factor .

Hepatitis C: What are the symptoms?

First of all, it is important to know that people with the disease do not always have symptoms. This is why many people are infected without their knowledge .

However, the following symptoms can occur : jaundice (skin and whites of eyes), weight loss , fatigue , lack of appetite , diarrhea , nausea , joint pain , liver pain and dark urine .

Hepatitis C: What are the treatments?

There are no vaccines for Hepatitis C because the disease is due to an infection of the blood.

However drugs exist and are effective in 50% of cases. There are two antiviral treatments :

Interferon PEG or pegylated

_ Ribavirin

Interferon is injected once a week and Ribavirin tablets are taken orally every day.

The combination of the two drugs is called dual therapy or "combination therapy" and lasts from 6 months to a year.