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Understanding Hepatitis C: Causes, Symptoms & Prevention

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by a virus, often asymptomatic. Learn risk factors, complications, methods of transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, and prevention strategies. Detect the virus through blood tests or liver biopsy for appropriate treatment. Explore ways to manage symptoms and minimize liver damage caused by HCV.

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Understanding Hepatitis C: Causes, Symptoms & Prevention

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  1. Hepatitis C By rebecca baron

  2. What is it? • Hepatitis C is a disease caused by a virus that infects the liver

  3. Symptoms • Most people have no symptoms when they are first infected • For that reason, from the 2.7-3.9 million Americans living with viral HCV, as many as 75% are unaware that they are infected.

  4. Symptoms • Fatigue • Fever • Nausea or poor appetite • Tenderness of area around the liver • Joint pain • Belly pain • Itchy skin • Sore muscles • Dark urine • Yellowish eyes and skin (jaundice)

  5. Symptom checker (1) Fever Fatigue Sore muscles Yellowing eyes and skin Tender Liver area Abdominal pain Itchy skin Dark Urine Joint pain The patient will click on the symptoms that apply and the words will turn red. This will allow the patient to track symptoms on a daily basis, or even to see the effects that Hep C has on his/her life at the beginning of the treatment.

  6. Symptom checker (2) Itchy Skin Sore Muscles Stomach pain Joint pain Jaundice Dark Urine Tiredness Another option is to have the pictures in a tile setting with a box for the patient to check off his or her symptoms. These symptoms will then be registered in the database.

  7. How is it spread? • Spread from person to person when the blood of someone infected with the virus mixes with the blood of someone else

  8. Causes • Blood transfusions and organ transplants before 1992 • Shared needles • Childbirth • Sexual contact

  9. Risk factors • Risk factors do not mean that you have Hepatitis C, but do indicate a greater risk of infection • If you have one or more of the symptoms, you should get tested

  10. Donated blood • Before 1992, donated blood products and blood could not be tested for Hepatitis C • Some people where accidentally infected after surgeries and other medical procedures

  11. Baby boomers • Born 1946-1964 • Could’ve been exposed to HCV when infection rates were higher in 70s and 80s

  12. Drug use • Infected by sharing tools to take drugs • Previously used: needles, syringes, cotton, water, or cocaine straws

  13. Sex • Rough, or anal sex without a condom • Any activity with blood to blood contact is a risk factor

  14. Tools • Sharing tattoo, piercing, or acupuncture needles • Manicure and pedicure tools • Those working in a medical setting may be cut and exposed to the virus • Must be cleaned and disinfected

  15. Others • Received hemodialysis treatments for a long period of time • Received clotting factor concentrates before 1987 • Have HIV

  16. Causes

  17. Sometimes, the body clears the virus on its own • If it cannot, it will go into the Chronic phase of infection • A serious condition that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer

  18. Complications • Scarring of the liver tissue (cirrhosis) • After 20-30 years of Hep C infection • Liver Cancer • Liver Failure

  19. The liver

  20. Functions of the liver • Manufacturing blood proteins that aid in clotting, oxygen transport, and immune system function • Storing excess nutrients and returning some of the nutrients to the bloodstream • Manufacturing bile, a substance needed to help digest food

  21. Helping the body store sugar (glucose) in the form of glycogen • Ridding the body of harmful substances in the bloodstream, including drugs and alcohol • Breaking down saturated fat and producing cholesterol

  22. What is cirrhosis? • A slowly progressing disease in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, eventually preventing the liver from functioning properly

  23. Implications • The scar tissue blocks the flow of blood through the liver and slows the processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs, and naturally produced toxins

  24. Comparison

  25. Healthy liver vs liver with cirrhosis

  26. Symptoms of cirrhosis • Red palms due to expanded vessels • Spider veins near the chest, shoulders, and face • Swelling of the belly, legs, and feet • Shrinking of the muscles • Bleeding from enlarged veins in your digestive system

  27. Cirrhosis symptoms

  28. Swollen and itchy hands

  29. Swelling in the abdomen

  30. Liver cancer • Cancer that begins in the cells of the liver • One of the most common forms of cancer in the world

  31. Liver cancer

  32. Symptoms • Weight loss • Loss of appetite • Upper abdominal pain • Nausea and vomiting • General weakness and fatigue • An enlarged liver • Abdominal swelling • Jaundice • White, chalky stools

  33. Liver cancer symptoms

  34. Liver failure • Occurs when large parts of the liver become damaged beyond repair and the liver is no longer able to function • life-threatening

  35. How can hcV be diagnosed? • Blood tests help to: • Determine whether you have HCV • Measure the quantity of HepC in your blood (viral load) • Evaluate the genetic makeup of the virus (genotyping), which helps determine treatment options

  36. A liver biopsy can help determine the severity of the disease and guide treatment decisions. • During the biopsy, a needle is injected through your skin, into your liver, and a tissue sample is removed.

  37. No treatment for acute HCV • Treatment isn’t always necessary • if you only have slight liver abnormalities, you may not need treatment, because your risk of future liver problems is very low.

  38. Treatment for Chronic HCV • Combination antiviral therapy • Liver transplant • Vaccinations to protect against other forms of viral hepatitis

  39. Antiviral medications • Peginterferon and ribivirin are combined to give the best response to treatment. • A protease inhibitor (such as boceprevir or telaprevir) may be given alongside these meidcations.

  40. Peginterferon is given as a shot once a week. • Ribavirin is taken as a pill 2 times a day.

  41. APP: Treatment scrolling Treatment Option For the treatments, I would like to have a rotating wheel where the patient can click on the option they prefer, then see the procedure, length of treatment, side effects, etc. With this option, the patient can navigate from left to right to find the best solution for him/her. However, the app recommendation will be highlighted in green.

  42. The length of the treatment depends on what hepatitis C genotype you have. • Genotype 1: 1 year • Genotype 2/3: 6 months

  43. Liver transplant • The surgeon removes your damaged liver and replaces it with a healthy liver • Most transplants come from deceased donors • This is not a cure • Antiviral treatment often follows

  44. Lifestyle remedies • Stop drinking alcohol • Avoid medications that cause liver damage • Stay healthy • Help prevent others from coming in contact with your blood

  45. Milk thistle: alternative medicine • May treat jaundice and other liver disorders • Taken as a capsule, extract, or infusion

  46. Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl_kw8qHGTI

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