Since the liver is an organ that constantly renews itself, it can regain its former health even if it is damaged. This important organ, which undertakes the task of purifying our body from poisons, is most affected by excessive alcohol intake, unconscious and overused drugs and infections. Hepatitis viruses take action at the end of the first month they enter the body and make the person tired, sluggish and weak.
BLASTING PROBLEM SYMPTOM
Liver-related problems manifest themselves as bloating and a feeling of extreme fullness in the upper part of the abdomen. Long-term, frequently recurring fatigue is also among the important symptoms. If these symptoms are seen, it is absolutely necessary to apply to a specialist and undergo the necessary screening
tests.
IS ALCOHOL THE ONLY REASON?
Although the share of alcohol in a chronic liver disease is 30-40 percent, alcohol may not be the only cause of the disease. Infections due to chemicals, drugs or viruses can also cause liver disorders. Hepatitis C is an increasingly common disease in the community. The virus can be transmitted through any body fluid. Especially unprotected sex increases the risk of hepatitis C.
MANICURE, PEDICURE ATTENTION!
One of the most risky ways of spreading hepatitis C is hairdressing salons. Manicure and pedicure tools used in hairdressing salons without adequate disinfection, and dental equipment or tattoo needles that do not provide adequate hygiene can spread viruses.
WEAKNESS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SIGNAL
Hepatitis C is similar to fatigue and the pain experienced with a cold. The virus begins to show its symptoms 30 to 180 days after entering the body. The metabolism, which resists the virus for up to 6 months, gains immunity. However, in 5-10% of people infected with the virus, the disease can become chronic.
IS IT THE SAME THING WITH JANUARY?
Yellowing of the eyes or body occurs due to the increased amount of bilirubin in the blood due to a liver-related ailment. can be seen.
WHAT TO EAT?
As in all types of hepatitis, proper nutrition plays an important role in the treatment of hepatitis C. Experts say that for a healthy and resistant liver, we must first be conscious of the fats consumed.
It is recommended to consume vegetable oils instead of animal fats that are a burden to the liver. Again, sufficient pulses consumption and sugar consumption should be kept to a minimum. In addition, over-processed foods with high additive density should be avoided, and attention should be paid to the cleanliness of foods in terms of toxins due to pesticides.
QUESTIONS
1- Hepatitis C is transmitted through body fluids (sweat, sexual intercourse) and blood. Is there any other way of contamination we can think of other than manicure, pedicure, tattoo needle?
For the transmission of hepatitis C, contact of body fluids containing the virus with the body fluids of the other person is required. Although the risk rates are different from the mother at birth and afterwards, it can be transmitted to the baby. There is a risk of contamination in people with chronic diseases who use blood products,
substance abusers, in patients with kidney failure who are on dialysis, sharing the same house and using common items such as toothbrushes and razors.
2- Symptoms include Illness and muscle weakness, Headache, Abdominal pain (which is the area just above the liver region), Nausea, Dark urine (color of cola), Weight loss, Aversion to fatty foods, Rarely jaundice and joint pain. Is this information correct?
Yes, there may be the described complaints. However, they are mostly not seen all together. 70-80% of the cases are passed unnoticed, which we call asymptomatic. These cases are found coincidentally while being investigated for different reasons. For this reason, it is very important to make scans at certain intervals.
3-How does the extreme thinness seen in Anjelina Jolie, one of them, progress? Does the person lose weight rapidly after the 1st month, for example?
In hepatitis C, in the acute period, weight loss may occur in the form of jaundice due to malnutrition. However, it is weight loss in terminal stage patients with liver failure and liver cancer that is more common.
There is no weight-related change in the patient group, which we call silent carriage of the disease and which constitutes the largest group of cases.
Therefore, it is not appropriate to attribute weight loss to the disease without knowing the patient’s condition clearly.
It becomes chronic after 4-6 months, is the disease seen at this stage of cirrhosis, that is, when the resistance of hepatitis is completely over, that stage is probably the latest stage, transplantation is required. Atatürk also died of cirrhosis, wouldn’t he have died if the transplant was done then? I guess that stage was passed too?
70-80% of hepatitis C cases become chronic after 6 months. However, not every chronic case is cirrhosis or liver cancer.
In 15-30% of chronic cases, chronic liver failure, ie cirrhosis, develops, and then liver cancer occurs on this background. A case that does not develop cirrhosis of the liver but has the virus in its blood, which we call a silent carrier, infects the disease, but does not die because of this. Liver transplantation is a form of treatment and life saving in case of liver cirrhosis or cancer.
5- Apart from liver damage, can hepatitis C cause skin, kidneys, salivary glands, eye and rheumatic problems in the body?
Yes, the disease harms the liver by targeting it. However, it can affect additional systems such as kidney, bone marrow, and glands and cause loss of function. It is known to be associated with rheumatic diseases involving some vascular structures.
6- Is common cutlery also risky for people living in the same house?
Hepatitis C is not transmitted by mouth. Because the virus is unstable to stomach acid. However, if there are wounds or cracks on the lips in the mouth, it can be theoretically transmitted.
The virus is sensitive to chemicals and heat, so it can be eliminated by washing and boiling above 60 degrees. However, we do not recommend the use of unwashed common cutlery for many health reasons.
7- What is the success rate of organ transplantation in our country, and what is the rate of cases who have had organ transplantation due to hepatitis c? Could you please give information about the treatment methods and duration of the patients who are in the treatment stage until the organ transplantation?
In 2011, the number of liver transplants in our country was 900 and 90% of these transplants were due to complications related to viral hepatitis. The success rate in transplantation varies depending on whether the donor is a living or cadaveric donor and according to the centers, but it is as high as 70-90%.
Treatment in the acute and chronic stages of hepatitis C varies from case to case, according to the detected level and type of the disease. The average duration of treatment is 1-1.5 years. In the treatment, drugs effective on immunity called interferon and anti-viral drug group are used. The response to treatment is highly variable. The recurrence rate of the disease is high.
8- I think the disease progresses more insidiously in children, how can we protect children from this disease in schools? Is there a preventive vaccine?
The rate of chronicity and symptom-free course in children with the disease is quite high, as 90%.
For these reasons, compliance with hygiene rules should be followed by the family and school in children. Parents should inform their children in terms of common practices among children, such as being blood siblings. Vaccine studies are still unsuccessful due to the structure and subgroups of the virus. The only method of prevention is to know the disease and to avoid it.
