Hepatitis C Treatments and Prevention

While a hepatitis vaccine for HAV and HBV is available, a vaccine for hepatitis C has yet to be developed. Therefore, prevention of the disease is important. In the absence of a hepatitis C vaccine, you can take some simple precautions to lower your chance of contracting the virus.

Statistically, intravenous drug abuse leads to more cases of HCV than any other form of hepatitis C transmission. People addicted to intravenous drugs often share needles, greatly increasing the likelihood of exposure to contaminated needles. Hepatitis C transmitted through drug abuse begins a vicious cycle: the infected individual often continues to share needles, which spreads the disease even further.

The best prevention for drug abuse-caused hepatitis is, of course, to avoid illegal intravenous drugs or, at least, avoid used needles. People who are addicted can access counseling, rehabilitation programs and support groups designed to help them overcome a drug dependency.

Vaccinations for A and B If you're infected with hepatitis C, you should be vaccinated for hepatitis A and B. You can be infected with HCV and HAV or HBV simultaneously, which causes more damage to your liver than HCV alone.

Sexual transmission of hepatitis C is not common, but it does occur. Having multiple sexual partners increases the risk of transmission. Studies are unclear as to exactly how effective condom use is at preventing the transmission of hepatitis C. The use of a condom is recommended, however, as it may help reduce the risk of contracting HCV. Condoms also have been proven to reduce the risk of other STDs.

Sharing personal items that may be contaminated with blood or body fluids is not recommended. This includes razors, toothbrushes and other personal hygiene products.

If you believe that you've come into contact with tainted blood or blood products, get tested for the virus as early as possible. If you're indeed infected with HCV, avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol is a potent toxin that can destroy liver cells. Coupled with hepatitis C inflammation, alcohol can cause serious damage. Avoid caffeine and eat healthy foods to prevent undue stress on your liver.

If you're infected with hepatitis C, you must avoid donating blood, organs or tissue for transplant. Hepatitis C can be all too easily transmitted through organ donation.

Alpha interferon is an antiviral substance produced by the body in response to viral infection. Synthetic versions of interferon administered by injection are available to treat hepatitis C. Older forms of the medication have to be administered several times a week. A new form of interferon, Pegasys®, now approved for hepatitis C, is administered only once a week.

Pegasys is often combined with the oral antiviral ribavirin. Although ribavirin doesn't work well alone, combination treatments work better than interferon alone. Treatment takes time: expect at least a year of medication. Pegasys and other interferon medications can have side effects, including high fevers, chills, muscle pain and flu-like symptoms. A feeling of malaise is also common.

Hepatitis C viral strains respond to medication in different ways. Genotype one, the most common variety of hepatitis C in the United States, doesn't respond well to treatment. Other strains, most notably type two and three, respond to treatment approximately 40 percent of the time.

In cases of serious liver damage, organ transplantation may be considered. Liver transplant patients have a 90 percent survival rate.

Unfortunately, more people require a liver transplant than there are donors. Even if an organ is available, active HCV infections that remain in the body may begin to damage the new liver. For this reason, people who have been successfully treated for HCV are more likely to receive a new organ than those with an active infection.

Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (reviewed 2005). Viral hepatitis C.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (updated 2001). What you should know about hepatitis C.

Smith, R. (1999). A painful connection: HCV, cryo and neuropathy. Hepatitis Central.

Thomas, C. L, ed. (1997). Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary 18th ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.