HepatitisC (HCV) is a disease that can affect both sexes. In women, however, it is very important to recognise it because, particularly if the patient does not know she has the disease, there is a risk of the baby being infected with the virus during childbirth. So what are the characteristics of HCV, how can one contract the virus causing it and what can be done to reduce the risk of contracting the disease?
Table of contents:
- Hepatitis C - basic information
- Symptoms of VH type C in women
- Diagnosis of VH type C
- Treatment of VH type C
- Prevention of VH type C
Hepatitis C is a viral disease which affects several thousand people in Poland every year. The course of the disease may vary, but in the majority of patients it leads to chronic hepatitis, so there is no doubt that measures should be taken to reduce the risk of the disease.
Hepatitis C - basic information
The hepatitis C virus can be transmitted in three ways: through contact with the blood of an infected person, through sexual contact and during childbirth. The first of these routes of infection is the most common, and in the past it was common for patients to become ill after having had a blood transfusion. Nowadays, blood is carefully tested before transfusions, but some infections are still due to some medical procedures.
VH type C can ultimately be contracted in many different places - at the hairdresser's, in a tattoo parlour or in aesthetic medicine. This can occur if the instruments used in these or other places are not properly sterilised. However, the disease can also be contracted at home, e.g. through the use of razors soiled with the patient's blood.
Hepatitis C can be contracted, as mentioned above, through sexual contact - the risk is particularly high in the case of intercourse between men. A very significant problem, this time affecting women, is the possibility of the child being infected by the sick mother during childbirth - because of this possibility, the recognition of VH type C in women is even more important.
Symptoms of VH type C in women
An aspect that makes diagnosis of the disease very difficult is that the symptoms of VH type C are very non-specific, especially in the early stages. Patients may experience feelings of fatigue and depressed mood, as well as complaints such as muscle weakness, itchy skin, nausea and abdominal pain. In the course of VH type C, jaundice may also occur.
It is worth noting here that the disease is sometimes diagnosed entirely by chance: sometimes a significant increase in the concentration of liver enzymes in the blood is detected when the patient has laboratory tests for reasons other than a suspicion of hepatitis.
Diagnosis of VH type C
If a patient suspects that she may be infected with the virus that causes VH type C, she should definitely see her doctor. The specialist will take a medical history, including risk factors for the disease (such as sexual contact with random people) and, if necessary, refer the patient for appropriate tests. Serological tests are essential in the diagnosis of VH - blood tests can detect anti-HCV antibodies. It is worth noting here that immunoglobulins of this type appear in the blood approximately seven weeks after infection, so a single test may not be sufficient to confirm or exclude VH type C.
In diagnosis, it is important not only to determine whether a patient has VH type C, but also to determine the severity of the disease. For this purpose, other further tests may be ordered, such as liver enzymes, bilirubin or blood GGT.
Treatment of VH type C
VH type C definitely requires treatment - if left untreated, the risk is not only cirrhosis, but also hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients struggling with the entity are recommended modern antiviral drugs, the aim of which is to eliminate the virus from the body. Properly selected treatment makes it possible to reduce the risk of acute hepatitis turning into a chronic process.
However, medication alone in hepatitis C patients is definitely not enough - non-pharmacological interventions are also very important. VH sufferers should definitely avoid alcohol, which can aggravate liver damage, and smoking is also inadvisable. Patients are also advised, in the absence of immunity, to be vaccinated against VH types A and B, and to try to maintain a healthy body weight.
Viral hepatitis, photo: panthermedia
Prevention of VH type C
Vaccination was mentioned above, but in the case of VH type C there is no vaccine that provides protection against the disease. For this reason, in order to reduce the risk of the disease, it is important to simply remember certain rules. In the case of sexual contact, it is definitely worth remembering to take precautions (this will reduce the risk not only of VH type C, but also of other sexually transmitted diseases). In fact, everyone is at risk of contracting this entity - basically everyone ends up using hairdressers or medical facilities. When you are in places where there is the possibility of coming into contact with instruments that come into contact with blood, it is worth looking at whether the necessary hygiene rules are being followed correctly by the staff.
