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... twelve weeks of contact with the virus (Hoofnagle). The most common symptoms are those of flu (McCarthy, Rose). They are fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, fever, chills, headaches, sore throat, and joint pain (Turkington 34). These symptoms last only for about a week so many people ignore them and go back to their normal lives. If not treated at first symptoms, the patient will develop chronic hepatitis.
Chronic hepatitis is where the disease becomes persistent (Hoofnagle). Chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis of the liver or even major cancer in the liver (Hoofnagle). If the chronic hepatitis does not reverse itself, the liver will have to be replaced (Bushie). If the liver is not replaced, the kidneys will fail, the liver will shrink, and the patient will lapse into a coma (Bushie). There are many symptoms of chronic hepatitis. The main symptom is jaundice (Bushie).
Jaundice occurs when the blood contains an excess amount of the pigment bilirubin (Lieber). The result is the yellowish appearance of the skin and eyes and the urine will become a brownish color (Lieber). Also many people have complained of a red itchy rash on their bodies and a pain in their lung and abdominal areas (Bushie). The limbs often swell, and many experience brain fogs, where they forget what is happening around them (McCarthy, Rose). There are many symptoms that hepatitis C shares with other viruses, so many people just forget about it and go on with their lives.
If you are having these symptoms you may have hepatitis C and it would be safe to go see your doctor. There are many tests that doctors can perform to see if you have hepatitis C. The first test your doctor will perform is called the Enzyme Linked Immunasorbent Assay better know as EIA, which was developed in 1991 (Turkington 39). The EIA test looks for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus in the blood (Turkington 39). Another antibody detection test is the Recombinant Immunoblat Assay better known as the RIBA (Turkington 40).
The RIBA test was developed to help give positive or negative readings and it is very accurate, but expensive (Turkington 40). The Matrix test also detects antibodies, and is given to patients with no symptoms (Turkington 41), such as a person who has been living with a family member with the virus. If the hepatitis C virus antibodies are found, the next goal is to find the nucleic acid associated with the virus, which is RNA, in the blood and body tissues (Turkington 41). The test most would administer would be the PCR test which is the most sensitive (Turkington 42). The hepatitis Cs RNA is amplified to detectable levels in the blood and is pulled by electric current through a gel composed of seaweed compounds (Turkington 42). The size is compared to the hepatitis C infected tissue and if they match it is positive that the patient has hepatitis C (Turkington 42).
The PCR test is measured in viral load, which is the amount of virus in blood per millimeter (Turkington 42). RNA material is measured in a weight unit called the program (Turkington 44). One program equals one million viruses (Turkington 44). Once the tests have been administered they can prove if you are infected with the virus and then can start treating you with drug therapies.
There are two different drugs that doctors will prescribe to people with hepatitis C. The first drug is called interferon and was discovered in England by Scottish virologist Alice Isaacs and Swiss virologist Jean Lindenmann in 1957 (Pelis). Interferons are proteins made by the body to fight infections. They interfere with viral reproduction and they stimulate the immune system (Turkington 58).
They also stop the damage of liver cells, but cannot reverse the damage already done to the liver (Turkington 58). There are three types of interferon and they are Alpha, Beta, and Gamma (Pelis). Alpha and Beta are produced by many types of cells in the body and are released within a few hours after a viral infection starts (Pelis). Gamma is also called the Immune Interferon and is produced by white blood cells called lymphocytes (Pelis). The gamma interferon acts as a signal molecule, which triggers the release of antibodies in the immune system (Pelis). Interferon is most effective when the disease is detected early, but if treatment is discontinued then there is a severe chance of a relapse (Turkington 59).
Interferon does have a few drawbacks though. Interferon must be self-administered twice a day through shots, says McCarthy (McCarthy, Susan). Also, the patient experiences vomiting and flu-like symptoms (McCarthy, Susan). It can also decrease white blood cells and platelets in the blood (Bushie). Schering-Plough, the drug company that produces interferon in the US, has combined interferon with an antiviral drug called ribavirin, to form rebetron (Grady). Rebetron is known to reduce the virus to undetectable levels in about twice as many patients as interferon by itself (Grady).
The side effects are depression, anemia, severe flu-like symptoms and suicidal thoughts (Grady). Rebetron costs $ 6, 400 to $ 8, 600 for a six-month treatment. Your doctor will prescribe which drug he feels is best for you, but after you start your drug therapy it is best to get on with your life. If you have hepatitis C, do not let it get you down, and live while you still are living, but you should still follow some guidelines. The number one priority is to eat a healthy diet.
Plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, grain, and fish are good for your body (Turkington 107). Try to avoid eating fried or spicy foods and foods high in refined sugar, alcohol, or caffeine (Turkington 107). Do not drink alcohol, since everything goes through your liver and that will greatly affect it. Also you should avoid smoking and doing illegal drugs. You should drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated and working well. Get vaccinations for all the other types of hepatitis (Turkington 109); you do not need anymore than you have already.
Finally, you should maintain your normal level of activity so your body does not use more or less energy fighting the hepatitis C virus than it already has been using. Follow these guidelines and live a healthy life while doing the best you can to fight this debilitating disease. Works Cited Bushie, Laura. ABCs of Viral Hepatitis. World Book Online. 1999. 10 April 2001 < web >>. Grady, Denise.
Hepatitis C: How Widespread a Threat? New York Times 15 December 1998: F 1. New York Times Ondisk. CD-ROM. UMI-ProQuest. 1998 - 2001. Hoofnagle, Jay.
Hepatitis. World Book Online. 1999. 10 April 2001 < web >>. Lieber, Charles. Diseases of the Liver. World Book Online. 1998. 10 April 2001 < web >>.
McCarthy, Rose. Personal Interview. 16 April 2001. McCarthy Susan. Personal Interview. 16 April 2001. Pelis, Neal. Interferon.
World Book Online. 2000. 10 April 2001 < web >>. Turkington, Carol. Hepatitis C: The Silent Killer. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1998.
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