Hepatitis C - Symptom, Treatment And Causes

As you might already know, the liver performs some important functions for the body such as removing toxins from the blood stream, regulating the immune response, processing hormones, nutrients, and medications, production of bile, production of protein, etc. That’s why the liver is considered to be the most important organ of the human body, and it’s vital to have a healthy, functioning liver. However, in some cases, a person needs a liver transplant. This is a complex surgical procedure that aims at replacing a non-functioning liver with a healthy liver from a donor.

Why is liver transplant done?
Liver transplant is mostly done in cases where the conditions cannot be controlled with conventional treatment or people suffering from cancer. A liver failure generally happens over a period. But, there are cases where the liver might fail in a matter of days. This condition is termed as an acute liver failure.

Chronic liver failure, on the other hand, happens gradually and can be a result of a lot of factors; the most common being liver cirrhosis. The latter can befall due to reasons such as hepatitis C and B, liver fat, Wilson’s disease, alcohol abuse, etc.

When do you need a liver transplantation?
The liver carries various functions important function in the body. Any disease or damage to it can affect the functioning of many other organs and total body functioning. However, the good thing is that liver can regenerate itself and only when it is damaged to an extent that affects this regeneration process; that one needs to look at the various treatment options. Liver transplant is recommended as the last resort in case of serious life threatening liver diseases like the following-

1. Chronic liver failure
2. Liver cirrhosis
3. Acute hepatic necrosis
4. Auto immune hepatitis
5. Viral hepatitis
6. Cancerous tumors in the liver
7. Other metabolic disorders caused by the liver

For you to be eligible for a liver transplantation it is a must to remain sober for at least 6 months before the procedure happens.

Who can donate healthy liver for transplantation?
Ideally, a healthy liver is available for transplantation once the organ donor has died. However, due to the shortage of cadaver livers, transplantation of a portion of a healthy liver from a living donor was first attempted in the late 1980s. Today living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a common practice in quite a few medical institutes where up to 70% of the right side of the healthy liver is taken from the donor. 

Apart from the liver portion, a small part of a blood vessel in the leg is also removed from the donor’s body to connect the donated liver portion to the recipient. Due to this complex process, the donor may need a hospital stay for a week or longer. During this time the donor’s liver begins to heal and regenerate itself. Full regeneration generally takes six to eight weeks. In case of the recipient, it takes a bit longer for the transplanted portion to reach full function and the appropriate size. Thus the ability of the liver to regenerate helps both the donor and recipient to have a normal functioning liver in some time.

Risks and Benefits of Liver Transplantations
A good transplant centre ensures that all the safety measures are followed during the liver transplantation by the transplant surgeon and there is no risk of complications like bleeding, infection, blocked blood vessels bile ducts in the liver. A successful liver transplant increases the life span of the donor by a few years. However, the new liver can also get infected with hepatitis if it is not treated alongside. Also, relapse to alcohol use after transplant causes damage to the new liver, so stay sober and stay healthy.

What are different phases involved in the process?

1. The first part of the process involves identifying a transplant centre that is reliable, trustworthy and performs enough transplants in a year. It is important to figure out the survival rate, factor in the cost, access the additional support that the centre can extend, etc.
2. The next part is the evaluation. Any hospital evaluates a person with three things: A. whether the body is healthy enough to support medications for the rest of the life. B. Whether there exists any pre-medical condition that can jeopardize the procedure. C. If the patient is willing to follow the treatment plan for the rest of the life.
3. Another phase that enters here is the testing phase. Some of the typical tests that are conducted include imaging test of the liver, basic laboratory tests, nutritional counselling, heart tests, routine health exam, financial counselling, etc. Once these procedures are over and done with, the selection panel of the centre meets to discuss the case and put the patient on the waiting list.

Is there a post-surgery procedure?

Once the patient is matched and the surgery takes place, a patient is likely to be in the intensive care unit for a few days followed by frequent check-ups for the first few months and the medicine continues for the rest of the life. 

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Hepatitis C is a Viral Infection That is Little Talked About, But Can Be As Dangerous As Hepatitis B

Most people have head or what became in the 1980s and '90s the dreaded AIDS virus. With time and the availability of medicines, it ceased to be a killer. However, the knowledge of it helped stem its spread. Most people, unfortunately, don't realize that hepatitis C is also a killer, simply because not much has been said about it. In fact, it is also a virus, but is 10 times more infectious than HIV.

Hepatitis C is transmitted through the blood, and is usually passed on to women through infected needles and sex. At-home glucometers are often shared, or sometimes a woman's own lifestyle or her partner's lifestyle before marriage may put her at risk, because the virus can stay in the blood for years. It is also transmitted through blood products, like in the case of a transfusion, though in the case of pregnant women, this is not so common.

The dangers
The virus affects 1 in every 100 people in India, while globally 180 million are infected with it. Sometimes, it may just pass through the body, like many other viruses do, but sometimes, it can remain. If detected quickly, within six months or so, cure rates are high. the problem is that it is often not easy to detect, as symptoms resemble those of a regular seasonal viral infection: fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite. If it remains in the body, becoming chronic, then it may progress to liver disease. But the hepatitis C virus (HCV) doesn't have to be a killer. You can conquer it with these moves. 

What you should do before
A number of couples who come to me have planned pregnancies-they opt for a baby, rather than the baby just 'happening' to them. This not only helps family planning, but it also helps us rule out infections or treat them if present. Usually, in the first trimester, your gynecologist will ask you to do a simple blood test for HIV, hepatitis B and C. In the case of a planned pregnancy, visit your doctor beforehand and ask if you need to take these tests before you conceive. However, there is no vaccine for HCV yet.

What you should do after
If a woman find out in the first trimester that she is hepatitis C positive, there's nothing much that can be done, as anti-viral medications cause birth defects, so a mother can only be put on them after delivery. She is advised to continue the pregnancy. A baby's chance of acquiring the infection in utero is between 5 and 7%. While this is not high, parents may like to avoid the risk. However, co-infection with HIV (if the mother is HIV positive) pushes the risk up to 19.4%. The pregnancy itself will not be hampered by the HCV infection. Nor does the risk of transmission to the child have anything to do with the mode of delivery-either vaginal or C-section. In India, there is little data on HCV transmission from mother to child. However, once the baby is born, the pediatrician may not do an immediate test to check for the virus, as it generally clears out from the baby's system in a year or so. Testing may only be done at 18 months.

The liver plays a significant role in the body’s various metabolic processes. Infection with hepatitis C virus causes inflammation of the liver, known popularly as Hepatitis C. It is a relatively new discovery (late 1980s), but there are a significant number of cases identified. The challenge in identifying this disease is that the patient does not manifest with any symptoms and can be carrying the virus for years with no signs or symptoms. This makes diagnosis very difficult and in most cases, it is discovered when diagnosing for some other disease. It is transmitted via blood – through use of drug needles, tattoo needles, or sexual when the virus is present in the vaginal fluid.

Homeopathic Treatment For Hepatitis C -

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat Hepatitis C infection but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for Hepatitis C treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensation and modalities of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person.

Homeopathy offers remedy for hepatitis C by detoxifying and neutralizing viral cells, improving immunity, and stimulating production of healthy cells. The following compounds are useful in this.

1. Chelidonium Majus: Prepared from the flowers of Celandine, it acts on the hepatobiliary system and restores overall liver function. The patient’s presenting symptoms include jaundice with pain, bloated abdomen, significant lethargy, weakness, reduced appetite, nausea and vomiting.

2. China Officinalis: This is useful in patients who are down with intermittent fevers, headaches, gallstones, dyspepsia and hemorrhages. The patient could also have debility, trembling, ringing in the ears, flatulence in the abdomen, gassy feeling and vomiting of bile.

3. Bryonia Alba: This is prepared from the plant known as wild hops after potentization. It works on multiple systems including the digestive, hepatobiliary, respiratory, and musculoskeletal systems. This is useful in patients who suffer from dyspepsia, migraine, bronchitis, joint pains, back pain, menstrual issues, and respiratory tract infections. The patient could also experience a burning sensation and soreness in the abdomen, which is extremely tender to the touch, along with nausea and vomiting. The symptoms are aggravated during summer months and with heat.

4. Kali Carbonicum: The active ingredient acts of multiple bodily systems including kidneys, liver, digestive, blood, bones, lungs, etc. It is widely used in liver dysfunctions like nephrotic syndrome, cirrhosis, and hepatitis C. The patient may have liver atrophy, cirrhosis, heaviness in the abdomen or jaundice. He or she could be restless, excitable and nervous. Extreme weakness and reaction to changes in light, sound, touch and odors are some other symptoms. The pain could be relieved by rubbing.

Other medicines like Lycopodium, Belladonna, Nux Vomica, and Aconite are also useful. However, as with all homeopathy medicines, self-medication is not advisable. The doctor will check for all accompanying symptoms and your overall health status and then determine what would work for you.

Hepatitis B and C are both viral infections of the liver caused by Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) virus respectively. Though the viral infections mostly affect children, adults are equally susceptible, if not more. The condition, if left untreated can have serious consequences on the liver (liver damage, scarring, liver cirrhosis and even cancer).

The symptoms for hepatitis B and C are almost similar and include:

• Abdominal or belly pain.
• Jaundice is one of the common and most important symptoms or medical condition associated with hepatitis B and C. The infection often interferes with the ability of the liver to filter out the bile pigment, bilirubin (the breakdown product of hemoglobin).
• Extreme tiredness and exhaustion.
• Nausea, loss of appetite.
• There may be a fever and vomiting in case of hepatitis B.

In both hepatitis B and C, the infection causing virus can spread through

• Unprotected sex.
• From the affected person (through their blood, body fluids or open sores).
• Use of infected needles and syringes.
• In the case of hepatitis C, the virus can also spread from the pregnant women to her child.

Though conventional medications and treatments are available, many people go for the Ayurvedic treatments instead. Ayurveda adopts a holistic approach in treating the ailment or disease. The treatment is 100% natural and thus, have negligible or no side effects at all. The Ayurvedic treatment may be time-consuming, but it treats the condition from the base (it works towards identifying and eliminating the very underlying factor responsible for the ailment). The approach is similar in the case of hepatitis B and C. In addition to treating hepatitis, the medications also bring about a remarkable improvement in the associated symptoms (like jaundice, fatigue and nausea).

1. Bhumi Amla (Phyllanthus Niruri): Bhumi Amla can be used to treat Hepatitis B and the associated symptoms successfully. The medicine lowers the bilirubin level in the blood, thus providing relief from jaundice (one of the characteristic symptoms of Hepatitis B and C). It is also an effective medicine to deal with liver failure or liver problems.
2. Echinacea (Andrographis): The medicine has anti microbial properties and, thus, checks and prevents the growth of the HBV (Hepatitis B Virus). It also enhances the overall functioning of a person's immune system (immune booster).
3. Arjuna (Terminalia Arjuna): People with Hepatitis B can benefit immensely from this medicine. Like Echinacea, Arjuna is also known to be an immune booster.
4. Kaasni: The medicine is used to treat hepatitis B and liver problems. Kaasni is also an excellent blood purifier.

The ayurvedic medicine for Hepatitis C include

1. Kalmegh (Andrographis Paniculata): The medicine comes as a relief for people with hepatitis C and liver problems. The anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties of Kalmegh further enhances its effectiveness.
2. Guduchi (AMBROSIA), Haritaki (TERMINALIA CHELUBA), CURCUMA LONGA are few other Ayurvedic medicines that are equally effective in treating Hepatitis C.

The liver plays a significant role in the body’s various metabolic processes. Infection with hepatitis C virus causes inflammation of the liver, known popularly as Hepatitis C. It is a relatively new discovery (late 1980s), but there are a significant number of cases identified. The challenge in identifying this disease is that the patient does not manifest with any symptoms and can be carrying the virus for years with no signs or symptoms. This makes diagnosis very difficult and in most cases, it is discovered when diagnosing for some other disease. It is transmitted via blood – through use of drug needles, tattoo needles, or sexual when the virus is present in the vaginal fluid.

Homeopathic Treatment For Hepatitis C -

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat Hepatitis C infection but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for Hepatitis C treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensation and modalities of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person.

Homeopathy offers remedy for hepatitis C by detoxifying and neutralizing viral cells, improving immunity, and stimulating production of healthy cells. The following compounds are useful in this.

1. Chelidonium Majus: Prepared from the flowers of Celandine, it acts on the hepatobiliary system and restores overall liver function. The patient’s presenting symptoms include jaundice with pain, bloated abdomen, significant lethargy, weakness, reduced appetite, nausea and vomiting.

2. China Officinalis: This is useful in patients who are down with intermittent fevers, headaches, gallstones, dyspepsia and hemorrhages. The patient could also have debility, trembling, ringing in the ears, flatulence in the abdomen, gassy feeling and vomiting of bile.

3. Bryonia Alba: This is prepared from the plant known as wild hops after potentization. It works on multiple systems including the digestive, hepatobiliary, respiratory, and musculoskeletal systems. This is useful in patients who suffer from dyspepsia, migraine, bronchitis, joint pains, back pain, menstrual issues, and respiratory tract infections. The patient could also experience a burning sensation and soreness in the abdomen, which is extremely tender to the touch, along with nausea and vomiting. The symptoms are aggravated during summer months and with heat.

4. Kali Carbonicum: The active ingredient acts of multiple bodily systems including kidneys, liver, digestive, blood, bones, lungs, etc. It is widely used in liver dysfunctions like nephrotic syndrome, cirrhosis, and hepatitis C. The patient may have liver atrophy, cirrhosis, heaviness in the abdomen or jaundice. He or she could be restless, excitable and nervous. Extreme weakness and reaction to changes in light, sound, touch and odors are some other symptoms. The pain could be relieved by rubbing.

Other medicines like Lycopodium, Belladonna, Nux Vomica, and Aconite are also useful. However, as with all homeopathy medicines, self-medication is not advisable. The doctor will check for all accompanying symptoms and your overall health status and then determine what would work for you.