Effective treatment to avoid liver damage caused by Hepatitis C
Treatment for Hepatitis C depends on which stage the patient is at. Although later stages of the disease exhibit severe liver damage signs that cannot be treated, the earlier stages can be treated with proper medication. Moreover, treatment and its effectiveness also depend upon other health conditions and how much Hepatitis C virus the patient has in his/her body.
Possible treatment for Hepatitis C
The medicines that are meant to treat Hepatitis C have severe side effects and are quite expensive. Moreover, their efficacy is not a guarantee since it varies from person to person. Being diagnosed with this disease is a life altering situation, and the patient will most certainly need the help and support of loved ones to cope with the illness.
- Treating short term (acute) Hepatitis C
This is a stage of Hepatitis C that cannot be dealt with because it is too early to be diagnosed in most people. If a person such as a healthcare expert knows that he/she has been exposed to HCV through a needle, such a person is in the acute stage and can be treated with medication.
Although there is still debate upon when to begin treatment and for how long, most people are offered suitable treatment during the acute stage, which helps prevent them from chronic infection and liver damage signs in the long term.
- Treating long term (chronic) Hepatitis C
The symptoms of Hepatitis C and liver damage signs do not show up in most people early on. As a result, they come to know about their infection during the chronic stage.
Severe liver problems such as cirrhosis and liver cancer can be prevented with suitable treatment. A combination of antiviral medicines can fight the infection, and this treatment can last from 12 weeks to a year, to finally get rid of the virus.
A routine blood test is mandatory for an HCV-infected person since it will let the doctor know how the patient’s liver is functioning. Whether or not you need to take medication will be decided by you and the doctor based on his diagnosis and your liver damage signs.
