Hepatitis+C

 Hepatitis C is a chronic liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It infects and causes inflammation of the liver. Inflammation can cause our organs not to work properly. Our liver is an important organ as it removes harmful chemicals from our blood, fights infection, helps digest food and stores nutrients, vitamins and energy. We cannot live without our liver.

Most people show no symptoms until the diease causes damage to the liver. It could take 10 or more years before the virus does damage to the liver. You could show one or more signs of the following: yellowish eyes and skin, swollen belly and ankles, easy bruising, tiredness, upset stomach, fever, diarrhea, loss of appetite, dark-yellow urine, light-color stools, and an unusual time for bleeding to stop.

Hepatitis C is a virus so anyone can get it. You could get it through contact with someone who's blood has been infected, being born to a mother who has the virus, having unprotected sex, being tatooned or pierced with unsterilized tools, using someone's elses toothbrush or razors, and sharing drug needles. You cannot get hepatitis C from shaking hands, hugging, or sitting next to an infected person.

Hepatitis C is diagnosed through blood tests. A liver biopsy may be suggested by your doctor to test for the extent of damage done to the liver. It is treated with pills called ribavrin that is taken daily and shots called peginterferon which is taken weekly. This medicine is done in a combination to slow or stop the vius from damaging the liver. It is estimated that about 250000 people in Canada are infected with HVC and many do not know they are infected.



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