How to Cure Acute Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes inflammation and decreased liver function. Acute hepatitis C is sudden and short-lived, and typically produces symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, fever and body aches. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, most cases of acute hepatitis C resolve within a few weeks. However, in some people, the inflammation persists and the person is diagnosed with chronic hepatitis. While treatment of acute hepatitis is not always necessary, the disease is more likely to progress without prompt medical intervention.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Avoid drinking alcohol and taking acetaminophen or other medications that stress your liver. These may increase inflammation in your liver and lead to a worsening of your illness.

2. Ask your doctor about treatment with pegylated interferon alpha. This medication is given via injection once a week. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, you must undergo a liver biopsy before beginning treatment with interferon.

3. Take ribavirin in combination with interferon to improve your chance at a complete cure. The Mayo Clinic states that taking ribavirin twice daily along with weekly interferon shots cures up to 80 percent of people with hepatitis C.

4. Discuss any side effects with your doctor. Most side effects caused by ribavirin and interferon discontinue with time, but some may persist and make treatment unbearable. Insomnia, vomiting, fatigue, depression, skin rashes, nasal congestion, anemia, irritability and body aches are all potential side effects of this treatment regimen.

5. Continue taking your medication unless instructed to stop by your doctor. The usual length of treatment with interferon and ribavirin for acute hepatitis C is 24 weeks. Other medications and therapies are available to help ease some of the side effects of these medications.

6. Follow up with your doctor after finishing your course of treatment, and have blood drawn to measure your remaining viral load. If the virus remains undetectable in your blood after six months, you are in a state called a sustained virologic response. If the virus is detected in your blood, you may need another course of treatment.

7. Exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and eat a healthy, balanced diet. A healthy lifestyle will improve your overall health, strengthen your body and assist in fighting your infection, and increase the effectiveness of your treatment.

8. Get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B. While there is no vaccination for hepatitis C, protecting yourself against other hepatitis viruses will prevent additional liver damage.

Tips & Warnings

• Ribavirin supplements may cause birth defects and should not be taken by women who are pregnant or who plan to become pregnant. Hepatitis C can be transmitted in contaminated blood. If you have been diagnosed with hepatitis C, do not allow others to be exposed to your blood.

References

• American Academy of Family Physicians
• Mayo Clinic
• HIVandHepatitis.com

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