Hepatitis C: routes of infection, symptoms in adults and children. What tests need to be taken for hepatitis C. Is it possible to become infected with this virus and not get sick?
Whether hepatitis C is transmitted through saliva is one of the most important questions. There are various possible ways of transmitting the virus, which you need to be aware of in order to protect yourself as much as possible.
basic information
Most often, the virus is transmitted when the blood of a person infected with hepatitis C enters the blood of a healthy person. Viral agents are contained in the blood in maximum concentration. In addition, they can be found in menstrual blood and semen, lymph and saliva. The viability of the virus remains even in dried biological fluids of an infected person for up to 4 days.
Donated blood is required to be tested for the absence of hepatitis C. This has been practiced for more than 20 years. The likelihood of infection depends on some associated factors:
- immunity status;
- the degree of viral infection of the patient;
- the amount of contaminated biological fluid with which a healthy person came into contact.
Every year, the number of infected people across the planet increases by 4 million. Currently, around the world there are about 170 million people with chronic hepatitis C. In different countries, the rate of spread of the disease and the proportion of the sick population can vary significantly.
Increased risk factors
Situations in which the risk is particularly high should be avoided. These include:
- Visiting salons where manipulations are carried out with possible blood-to-blood contact using non-sterile instruments. You can visit tattoo parlors, get manicures and pedicures only if compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards is beyond doubt.
- Sharing drug use by intravenous injection. This is the most common method of transmission of viral agents, as this process results in the exchange of a significant amount of blood.
- Contact of medical personnel with infected blood. If a healthcare worker has lesions on the skin, the risk of infection is very high.
- Use of patient hygiene products. Microparticles of contaminated blood can be found on toothbrushes, razors, and manicure instruments.
- Manipulation of blood during medical procedures. This route of transmission is virtually eliminated in countries with high standards of living and medical care.
In most cases, it is almost impossible to determine the route of infection. This is due to the fact that the incubation period of the viral infection is quite long.
Possible routes of transmission
Every person who has been in contact with someone infected with hepatitis C wonders whether it is possible to become infected with hepatitis C through saliva, semen or vaginal secretions.
Sexual transmission of the virus is unlikely. The content of viral agents in biological fluids that are released during sexual intercourse is low. After unprotected sex with an infected person, his partner becomes infected in no more than 5% of cases. If a condom is used during sex, then the likelihood of infection is almost zero.
The risk of sexual transmission of the virus increases if a person is promiscuous and has unprotected sex with a large number of people. Also risk factors:
- aggressive sexual intercourse with possible damage to mucous membranes;
- sex during menstruation;
- anal sex without contraception.
Many people worry that the virus can be transmitted through kissing. This method of infection is possible, but unlikely. Saliva contains minimal amounts of the virus. As a rule, viral cells enter saliva only in particularly serious cases of illness. Therefore, it is almost impossible to become infected with hepatitis C through saliva. However, despite the low likelihood of this happening, it is recommended to refrain from kissing someone who has hepatitis C.
In 5% of cases, the virus is transmitted from mother to child during passage through the birth canal. Transmission of the virus by airborne droplets is impossible. Also, the virus cannot be contracted through household contact or through insect bites. Therefore, living together with an infected person does not pose any threat, provided that minimum hygiene rules are observed.
By knowing how the virus is transmitted, you can protect yourself and minimize the likelihood of infection. When asked whether hepatitis is transmitted through kissing, the most correct answer would be: infection is possible, but unlikely.
Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver. Most often it is diagnosed in young people aged 20-30 years, but recently more and more older people have become carriers of the virus of this disease. The pathogen can be present in all human biological fluids: blood, urine, saliva, sputum, nasopharyngeal secretions, semen.
It should be noted that hepatitis C is the most dangerous disease, as it quickly destroys the liver. If you don't know whether hepatitis C is transmitted through saliva, be sure to ask your doctor.
Distribution routes
The hepatitis C virus is transmitted through blood. In the vast majority of cases, infection occurs after the introduction of even a small amount of contaminated fluid using a shared needle. In addition, transmission of the virus can occur through contaminated instruments used for tattooing and piercing. In household conditions, it can be spread through common manicure accessories, razors, and toothbrushes.
It is extremely rare that hepatitis C is transmitted as a result of a bite. You can become infected with this disease through injury or during surgery, mass vaccination or the administration of medications, or in dental offices. However, in developed countries the risk of infection is almost zero.
Sexual transmission
The most important is the sexual transmission of hepatitis C. The risk of transmission of the pathogen through unprotected sex is 5%. The likelihood of infection will be low if the marriage is monogamous. In the case of a large number of sexual relationships, including casual ones, the risk is much higher. It has been proven that viruses are transmitted more actively during oral sex.
If you have sexual contact with a carrier of the virus, you must use condoms.
It is impossible to identify an infected person by appearance, so we recommend that you avoid relationships with unverified partners. Remember to get regular medical checkups to help diagnose hepatitis C in its early stages.
Is transmission possible through saliva?
The hepatitis C virus is found in all body fluids, but is most abundant in the blood. There is an insufficient amount of the pathogen in saliva, which indicates a low probability of contracting hepatitis C through a kiss. The risk of infection through saliva will be high if there is even slight damage to the mucous membrane or areas of inflammation in the mouth.
The risk of infection is extremely high when sharing toothbrushes. Blood particles may remain on their surface, in which the virus can live for a long time. Never use someone else's brushes or give yours to other people.
How to recognize an infection?
Due to the long incubation period, it is impossible to detect hepatitis C in the initial stages. Symptoms of hepatitis C can be common for a long time. Among them:
The initial stage of hepatitis C has common symptoms. It is often confused with signs of the flu, which is why the wrong treatment is prescribed. The appearance of jaundice can indicate a dangerous virus: a person’s sclera and skin turn yellow, and the urine becomes darker.
The disease can occur in two forms - both acute and chronic. If a person has insufficient immunity, the body is not able to produce antibodies in response to the virus, the acute form develops into a chronic form.
Remember that having hepatitis does not mean that you will not encounter it again - re-infection is possible.
Risk of infection
The hepatitis C virus can enter your body through someone else's blood, uncontrolled sexual intercourse, or poor hygiene. In order to minimize the risk of infection, you must adhere to the following rules:
You can only protect yourself from hepatitis infection if you completely eliminate your contact with blood.
Be extremely careful if you frequent nail or pedicure salons. There, the virus can be transmitted through manicure accessories. In addition, very often drug addicts who use disposable needles many times suffer from hepatitis C. Their disease progresses to the chronic stage. Doctors who work on blood collection have a particularly high risk of infection.
It is not possible to determine the moment of infection with hepatitis C. In the initial stages of the disease there are no symptoms. Over time, a person develops serious liver diseases, cirrhosis, bruises and injuries with increased bleeding.
The long absence of signs is explained by the long incubation period. Hepatitis C infection can occur during gynecological procedures or during childbirth. Hepatitis C is also spread through blood-sucking insects.
nashapechen.com
Is it possible to get hepatitis C through saliva?
Recent scientific developments have shown that hepatitis C infection through saliva is possible. But the transfer process is like Russian roulette. The saliva of infected people contains a dangerous virus in sufficient concentration to become a source of danger. Those at risk are those who suffer from gum disease. A light kiss or failure to comply with personal hygiene rules can provoke infection.
Doctors are confident that other people's toothbrushes pose a great danger. When brushing your teeth, microscopic drops of blood may remain on the brush, and they are a source of danger. If a patient does not take proper care of his household and hides his diagnosis from friends, the consequences can be unpredictable. And if safe sex can still become an obstacle, then an innocent kiss, a small wound in the mouth, a violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane - all this can become fertile ground for the penetration and infection of a dangerous virus.
Today, full-scale studies are being conducted to help model the possibility of infection with hepatitis C through paired salivary glands located in the mouth. Technical infection cannot be ruled out, although you need to try hard to make it happen. But you still shouldn’t play Russian roulette if you want to live to a ripe old age and enjoy good health.
If not through saliva, how else is it possible to become infected with hepatitis C?
So, we have found that hepatitis C can be transmitted through saliva in a limited number of cases. How else can you become infected with a dangerous virus? There are several circumstances under which infection will occur in one hundred percent of cases. This:
- Syringe injections.
- Transfusion of blood and its components.
- Surgical interventions.
- Gynecological procedures.
- Tattoos, manicure, pedicure and piercing.
- Sexual intercourse.
- Dental intervention.
- Cosmetology procedures.
- Chronic use of bulk drugs.
- Bites of blood-sucking insects.
- Contact with pets.
- Transmission of the virus from mother to child during childbirth.
Remember, a dangerous virus can survive at room temperature for sixteen hours. And although a high concentration of it is required for infection, hepatitis C is transmitted through paired salivary glands if there are favorable factors. Therefore, special precautions and observance of personal hygiene rules will not hurt.
vitaportal.ru
Transmission routes
The main source of spread is saliva. Hepatitis B is a disease that is transmitted sexually, through kissing and through the exchange of various body fluids.
The most common methods of transmission are French kissing and oral sex. Transmission of the disease occurs through saliva. As a rule, hepatitis B is not transmitted through a regular kiss, because in this case there is no exchange of saliva.
In order to minimize the risk of the disease, it is necessary to identify the main routes of its transmission and minimize the number of sexual partners who may be carriers of the disease.
During sexual intercourse, it is advisable to use barrier contraceptives (condoms). To prevent disease, you need to ask your partner what diseases he has, and only based on the information received, make a conclusion about having sexual intercourse.
Hepatitis A is the 2nd form of the disease, spread through body fluids, in particular saliva. For transmission of the disease to occur, blood containing the virus must enter the body of a healthy person. In this case, the route of transmission can only be oral.
This type cannot spread on its own and cause epidemics, but infection itself can occur in kissers. There may be blood in the saliva that contains hepatitis.
It is quite difficult to understand whether a person is a carrier of the disease. To diagnose, you need to take a blood test and draw conclusions based on the results obtained.
Hepatitis A can also be transmitted through sexual contact. The likelihood of infection is much higher among those people who use oral and anal contact in their sexual practices. It is necessary to limit the number of such contacts or completely avoid them. The problem will be solved, and the spread of infection will become impossible.
According to studies, transmission of the hepatitis C virus through saliva is unlikely, but this possibility cannot be completely ruled out.
In what situations is there a risk of infection?
Doctors say that hepatitis C is found not only in the patient’s blood, but also in all biological fluids. Infection itself can only occur if blood containing the virus enters a healthy body. Dangerous areas that need to be highlighted are damaged mucous membranes of the oral cavity and skin. The risk of infection increases many times over if contaminated blood comes into contact with exposed areas of the body that have been damaged.
Saliva carries a pathogenic virus, the concentration of which will be sufficient for infection. The risk group includes those who have problems with their gums (bleeding, etc.). A light kiss if oral hygiene is not observed can cause infection, which threatens the patient with irreversible consequences.
The greatest danger is posed by other people's toothbrushes. Microscopic particles of blood may remain on the bristles, which act as a source of the virus. If a patient does not care about the health of those with whom he lives, or hides his diagnosis from everyone, then he jeopardizes not only his own, but also the health of others.
Protected sexual intercourse cannot pose any danger to both partners, but an innocent kiss (in the case of a wound on the oral mucosa, minor irregularities in the gums) can help create a favorable environment for the transmission and development of the disease.
Hepatitis is a disease that poses a danger not only to the liver, but also to the entire body. Modern medicine is constantly developing new tools that would help minimize negative consequences.
Large-scale studies are being conducted in Western countries that simulate possible situations of infection through the salivary glands. Such a possibility cannot be excluded, but in order to become infected, you have to really try.
Literature:
1. Ershov F.I. Hepatitis C virus and the interferon system // Interferons and their inducers (from molecules to drugs). M., - 2005. - P.89-123.
2. Ershov F.I. Viral hepatitis // Antiviral drugs. — Directory. Second edition. - M., - 2006. - P.269-287.
3. Ershov F.I., Romantsov M.G. Viral hepatitis // Medicines used for viral diseases. - M., - 2007. - P.84-106.
zpppstop.ru
How is the disease transmitted, and where can you get it?
The hepatitis C virus is contained in the blood, as well as in all other biological fluids of the patient. And therefore, infection can only occur if the blood of a sick person gets on damaged mucous membranes or on the skin of a healthy person. If there are no damage (even microscopic) to the skin or mucous membranes, then infection will not occur. As for biological fluids such as semen, saliva, female secretions, etc., they also contain the hepatitis C virus, but in a concentration insufficient to infect a healthy person. And therefore it is believed that an individual who communicates with a carrier of the virus at the everyday level is outside the risk zone.
If you believe the statistics, the highest percentage of hepatitis C infection is observed in places of detention, as well as in places of group injection drug use. In addition, you can get this disease after visiting a cheap and unreliable tattoo parlor where you got a tattoo or, for example, a piercing. There is also a certain danger of becoming infected in medical institutions (however, this is currently only relevant for developing countries), and employees of these institutions are primarily at risk.
In addition, infection can occur through sexual intercourse, the bite of a blood-sucking insect, inhalation of certain drugs (primarily cocaine, which destroys the blood vessels of the nose), as a result of participation in a fight, or in a serious car accident. However, the likelihood of such an infection is very small, and therefore many doctors do not even consider it seriously.
Is it possible to “catch” the virus at home?
Now let's briefly talk about whether you can become infected with hepatitis C through saliva or through surrounding objects. This is a fairly pressing question, since it is not uncommon for healthy people to communicate with a sick person at the everyday level (and sometimes they do not even know about his illness).
According to experts, hepatitis C (unlike forms A and B) is not transmitted by airborne droplets. That is, you do not risk becoming infected simply by talking with an infected person, sharing things and objects, touching him or even kissing him. However, it is important to remember that any damage to the oral cavity, abrasions, scratches, as well as untreated caries, significantly increase the risk of infection. In addition, from this point of view, those sharp, piercing or cutting objects that you use in everyday life - knives, razors, toothbrushes - can be dangerous.
The risk of infection during sexual intercourse is completely negligible - according to professional doctors, the probability of infection in this case does not exceed 1%. And if we talk about the probability of infection of a newborn child from an infected mother, then the risk level reaches 5% (and infection can only occur during the passage of the fetus through the birth canal).
...Thus, a person suffering from hepatitis C should not give up social life. And you may well continue to communicate with patients - if you approach the organization of spending time together seriously and responsibly, the risk will be minimized.
medinote.ru
Hepatitis B is a viral disease, the causative agent of which is the hepatitis B virus (in the specialized literature it can be
stand for "HB virus", HBV or HBV) from the family of hepadnaviruses.
The virus is extremely resistant to various physical and chemical factors: low and high temperatures (including boiling), repeated freezing and thawing, and prolonged exposure to an acidic environment. In the external environment at room temperature, the hepatitis B virus can persist for up to several weeks: even in a dried and invisible blood stain, on a razor blade, or the end of a needle. In blood serum at a temperature of +30°C, the infectivity of the virus persists for 6 months, at -20°C for about 15 years. Inactivated by autoclaving for 30 minutes, dry heat sterilization at 160°C for 60 minutes, heating at 60°C for 10 hours.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health problem, and it is estimated that approximately 2 billion people worldwide have been infected with the virus and more than 350 million are affected.
The mechanism of infection transmission is parenteral. Infection occurs through natural (sexual, vertical, household) and artificial (parenteral) routes. The virus is present in the blood and various biological fluids - saliva, urine, semen, vaginal secretions, menstrual blood, etc. The contagiousness (infectiousness) of the hepatitis B virus is 100 times higher than the contagiousness of the AIDS virus.
Previously, the parenteral route was of greatest importance everywhere - infection during therapeutic and diagnostic manipulations, accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the skin or mucous membrane through medical, dental, manicure and other instruments, transfusions of blood and its preparations.
In recent years, sexual transmission of the virus has become increasingly important in developed countries, which is due, firstly, to the decreasing importance of the parenteral route (the emergence of disposable instruments, the use of effective disinfectants, early detection of sick donors), and secondly, the so-called “sexual revolution” : frequent change of sexual partners, practice of anal intercourse, accompanied by greater trauma to the mucous membranes and, accordingly, an increased risk of the virus entering the bloodstream. Infection through kissing is also possible, especially if there is damage to the mucous membrane of the lips and mouth of a healthy partner (erosions, ulcers, microcracks, etc.). The spread of drug addiction also plays a big role, since intravenous drug addicts are a high-risk group and, importantly, they are not an isolated group and easily engage in promiscuous unprotected sexual relations with other people. Approximately 16-40% of sexual partners become infected with the virus during unprotected sex. [source not specified 606 days]
In the household route of infection, infection occurs through the use of shared razors, blades, manicure and bath accessories, toothbrushes, towels, etc. In this regard, any microtrauma of the skin or mucous membranes with objects (or contact of injured skin with them (abrasions, cuts, cracks, inflammation of the skin, punctures, burns, etc.) or mucous membranes), on which there are even microquantities of secretions of infected people (urine, blood, sweat, sperm, saliva, etc.) and even in dried form, invisible to the naked eye . Data have been collected on the presence of a household route of transmission of the virus: it is believed that if there is a carrier of the virus in a family, then all family members will be infected within 5-10 years.
Of great importance in countries with intensive circulation of the virus (high incidence) is the vertical transmission route, when the child is infected by the mother, where the blood contact mechanism is also realized. Typically, a child becomes infected from an infected mother during childbirth when passing through the birth canal. Moreover, the state of the infectious process in the mother’s body is of great importance.
Hepatitis C (H) is an inflammation of the liver that occurs due to infection of the human body with a virus (hepatitis C virus). In the process of its reproduction, liver tissue is damaged, cirrhosis and oncological pathologies develop.
What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a viral liver disease. He is also called the “gentle killer.” This disease sneaks up on the sly, proceeds without clear signs and leads to severe consequences: cancer or cirrhosis of the liver.
Sometimes infection with this virus can occur without any symptoms for several years. But after 15-20 years of inflammatory liver damage, hepatitis C can provoke a destructive change in the liver with a cancerous tumor or.
The virus has an interesting feature. It is constantly changing. Today there are 11 of its variants - genotypes. But after infection with one of them, the virus continues to mutate. As a result, up to 40 varieties of one genotype can be identified in a patient.
Virus resistance
The hepatitis C virus does not reproduce in cell cultures, which makes it impossible to study its stability in the external environment in detail, but it is known that it is slightly more stable than HIV, dies when exposed to ultraviolet rays and can withstand heating up to 50 ° C. The reservoir and source of infection are sick people. The virus is contained in the blood plasma of patients.
Both those suffering from acute or chronic hepatitis C and those with asymptomatic infection are contagious.
You can inactivate the infection (HCV) by:
- disinfectant solution (detergents containing chlorine, bleach in a ratio of 1:100);
- washing at 60°C for 30-40 minutes;
- boil the item for 2-3 minutes.
Forms
Hepatitis C can occur in the form of an acute or chronic infectious disease. The acute form can become chronic (this happens more often), and the chronic form, in turn, can have episodes of exacerbation.
Acute viral hepatitis C
Acute hepatitis C is a viral disease caused by HCV infection entering the blood and leading to damage and subsequent destruction of the liver. Infection with this virus occurs not only through the parenteral route, since the causative agent of this disease can be found not only in the blood of a sick person, but also in other body fluids (sperm, urine, etc.).
Chronic form
Chronic hepatitis C is a viral inflammatory disease of the liver that is caused by a blood-borne virus. According to statistics, new hepatitis C becomes chronic in 75-85% of cases, and it is infection with the C virus that takes the leading place in the development of severe complications.
This disease is especially dangerous because it can be completely asymptomatic for six months or several years, and its presence can only be detected by performing comprehensive clinical blood tests.
How is hepatitis C transmitted from person to person?
The main route of infection with hepatitis C is through blood, so donors are always tested for the presence of the virus. A small amount of it can be contained in lymph, saliva, menstrual blood in women and seminal fluid in men. The virus can live from 12 to 96 hours. The likelihood of infection depends on the intensity of the infection and the state of the body's immunity.
Due to difficulties in accumulating a sufficient amount of study material and the lack of surviving patients, the pathogen has not been fully identified.
After the virus enters the blood, it penetrates with the bloodstream into the liver and thereby infects its cells, then the process of multiplication of infected cells occurs. This virus easily mutates and changes its genetic structure.
It is this ability that leads to his difficult to detect early.
There are three main routes of transmission of the virus:
- hemocontact (through blood),
- sexual,
- vertical (mother to child)
The virus is unstable in the external environment, therefore it is not transmitted through household means using shared household items, clothing and utensils. The pathogen is contained in blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk, but does not multiply on the skin and saliva, and is not released into the external environment, so it is impossible to become infected with hepatitis C by airborne droplets or through touch.
Transmission of hepatitis C through blood
Hepatitis C is primarily transmitted through blood. The serum and blood plasma of carriers of the infection pose a danger even a week before the onset of symptoms of the disease and remain capable of infection for a long time.
In order for transmission of infection to occur, a sufficient amount of infected blood must enter the bloodstream, so the most common route of transmission of the pathogen is through its introduction through a needle during an injection.
The first risk group is drug addicts. Transmission in this way can also occur when:
- tattoo,
- piercing,
- during the process of acupuncture,
- in hospitals during blood transfusions or other manipulations,
- when performing manicure and pedicure,
- using common manicure equipment,
- visiting a dental office, if the disinfection measures for instruments are not followed correctly.
Sexual transmission
Factors contributing to hepatitis C infection through sexual contact:
- violation of the integrity of the internal surface of the genital tract and oral cavity, their bleeding;
- inflammatory diseases of the genital organs;
- sexual intercourse during menstruation;
- concomitant urinary and reproductive diseases, HIV infection;
- promiscuity;
- practice of anal sex;
- traumatic sex in an aggressive form.
Risk factors
There is a risk of infection when performing various medical procedures if sterility requirements are not met. You can become infected in the following situations:
- various surgical interventions;
- injection procedures;
- gynecological manipulations, including abortions;
- transfusion of blood and its components;
- diagnostic manipulations with blood sampling;
- dental procedures;
- performing manicure, pedicure;
- getting tattoos;
- unprotected sex with a person with hepatitis;
- during childbirth and lactation (vertical route of infection from mother to child).
It is also possible to identify separate groups of people for whom the transfer of this disease is more severe:
- people who abuse alcohol;
- faces with ;
- with chronic liver diseases, as well as with other types;
- older people, as well as children - in these cases, among other things, full antiviral treatment measures may often be contraindicated for them.
Hepatitis C cannot be transmitted:
- by airborne droplets when sneezing, talking;
- when hugging, touching and shaking hands;
- with mother's breast milk;
- through food and drinks;
- while using household items, shared dishes, towels.
In extremely rare cases, a household route of transmission is recorded, but the condition for the development of the disease is that the patient’s blood gets into the wounds, abrasions or cuts of a healthy person.
The first signs in men and women
After infection, hepatitis behaves very secretly. Viruses multiply in the liver, gradually destroying its cells. However, in most cases, a person does not feel any signs of the disease. And if there are no complaints and visits to the doctor, there is no treatment.
As a result, in 75% of cases the disease enters the chronic stage, and serious consequences arise. Often a person feels the first signs of the disease only when cirrhosis of the liver has developed, which cannot be cured.
There is a small list of signs that may indicate the presence of the hepatitis virus:
- increasing weakness;
- fast fatiguability;
- asthenia (general weakness of all organs and systems of the body).
Such manifestations are typical for any colds, chronic diseases or poisonings (intoxications). Later the following may appear:
- jaundice;
- the abdomen may increase in volume (ascites);
- Spider veins may appear;
- lack of appetite;
- nausea;
- joint pain (a rare symptom);
- possible enlargement of the spleen and liver.
In general, we can say that the first signs are symptoms of intoxication and liver dysfunction.
Symptoms of hepatitis C
The incubation period of viral hepatitis C ranges from 2 to 23 weeks, sometimes extending to 26 weeks (due to one way or another of transmission). The acute phase of infection in the vast majority of cases (95%) does not manifest itself with severe symptoms, occurring in an anicteric subclinical variant.
Late serological diagnosis of hepatitis C may be associated with the likelihood of an “immunological window” - a period when, despite the existing infection, there are no antibodies to the pathogen, or their titer is immeasurably small.
In 61% of cases, viral hepatitis diagnosed in laboratory 6 or more months after the first clinical symptoms.
Signs of acute hepatitis C
Most infected people do not notice any symptoms of the disease at all, so the acute phase is often not diagnosed. The patient may note:
- exanthema - skin rashes (by type);
- influenza-like syndrome (fever, short-term increase in temperature, pain in muscles, joints);
- general malaise (fatigue, loss of appetite);
- dyspeptic syndrome (nausea, vomiting, heaviness in the stomach, pain in the right hypochondrium);
- jaundice syndrome (yellow color of the skin or sclera of the eyes, lightening of stool, darkening of urine);
- On palpation, a moderate increase in the size of the liver and sometimes the spleen is noted.
Symptoms of chronic hepatitis C
Unfortunately, in 80% of cases, hepatitis C has a primary chronic course. For many years the disease flows hidden, practically without showing itself. The person is unaware of his illness, leads a normal life, drinks alcohol, aggravating his condition, has unprotected sex and infects others. Liver function in hepatitis C remains compensated for a long time, but often such imaginary well-being ends in acute liver failure.
The chronic stage of the disease is characterized by the following symptoms (clinical manifestations):
- general malaise in which sleep patterns are disrupted;
- stool becomes light-colored;
- you can feel heaviness and mild pain in the right hypochondrium;
- a rash appears on the body, which is similar to an allergy;
- increased body temperature, which occurs periodically throughout the day;
- appetite is disturbed, aversion to food occurs;
- Dry and pale skin, hair loss, brittle and flaky nails are the consequences of a lack of vitamins and iron metabolism disorders, for which the liver is responsible. Often in patients with hepatitis there is a severe lack of B vitamins and iron, leading to (anemia).
The hepatitis C virus affects not only the liver, but also other organs. If a person has been sick for a long time (10 years or more), then he may experience so-called extrahepatic symptoms of hepatitis C. More than half of these symptoms are associated with cryoglobulinemia, a disease sometimes caused by the hepatitis C virus, in which special proteins are found in the patient’s blood - cryoglobulins.
Complications
Complications of hepatitis C:
- liver fibrosis;
- steatohepatitis - fatty degeneration of the liver;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma);
- portal hypertension;
- ascites (increase in abdominal volume);
- varicose veins (mainly in internal organs);
- hidden bleeding;
- hepatic encephalopathy;
- addition of a secondary infection – hepatitis B virus (HBV).
When drinking alcoholic beverages, symptoms intensify, and pathological liver damage accelerates up to 100 times.
Complications can be recognized by the following signs:
- a severe exacerbation begins, which is characterized by bloating with general weight loss, as water begins to accumulate in the abdominal cavity;
- the liver becomes covered with scars (connective tissue);
- so-called stars, venous veins, appear on the body.
The appearance of the above signs and changes in the body is a signal to a person that he needs to check himself and begin timely treatment.
Diagnostics
The diagnosis is made based on:
- the availability of data on the possible method of infection - the so-called starting point (it is typical that in approximately half of those infected the cause of the disease cannot be identified);
- the presence of specific clinical manifestations (in the icteric form);
- determination of IgM and IgG to HCV;
- detection of HCV RNA (HCV-RNA) by polymerase chain reaction;
- changes in biochemical blood test [increased levels of liver enzymes (ALT, AST), hyperbilirubinemia];
- positive thymol test.
Treatment of hepatitis C (C) in adults
Successful therapy includes an integrated approach: medications are combined with traditional methods, diet, regular examinations are carried out, patients monitor physical activity and rest regimen.
Treatment is aimed at the following actions:
- eliminate the virus from the blood;
- reduce, eliminate the inflammatory process in the liver;
- prevent tumor formation and transformation into cirrhosis.
How to treat hepatitis C should be decided by a specialist. He prescribes medications taking into account the individual characteristics of the body, the genotype of the virus, and the severity of the disease.
Why is it necessary to treat hepatitis C under the supervision of a doctor?
- Supervision by a specialist is necessary since there is a risk of disease activation with active damage to the liver tissue and extrahepatic lesions - this threat persists throughout the entire period of carriage of the virus.
- Supervision by a specialist includes determination of liver tests and blood serology (PCR study of the activity of the infectious process).
- If an unfavorable picture of liver tests is detected, or a high viral load (a high level of genetic material of the virus detected in the blood), then antiviral and hepatoprotective therapy is required because the risk of developing liver cirrhosis is high.
Drugs for treatment
The specificity of hcv therapy depends on a number of factors that can influence a positive or negative result:
- Patient's gender;
- Age;
- Duration of the disease;
- Virus genotype;
- Degree of fibrosis.
The goal of antiviral therapy is the complete recovery of the patient and the prevention of inflammatory and degenerative lesions: fibrosis, cirrhosis and cancer. Most specialists for the treatment of hepatitis C use dual therapy with interferon, aimed at combating hepatitis C, and ribavirin, which accelerates the work of the former.
The patient should receive interferon daily. Another treatment regimen involves administering short-acting interferon every three days and pegelated interferon once a week.
Specific drugs that fight the causative agent of the disease are Ribavirin, Zeffix. The first acts as a means of antiviral therapy, which helps reduce the concentration of the pathogen in the body by affecting its reproduction.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- The advantage is worth noting the high efficiency in combination with interferon drugs;
- The downside is that one of the side effects is dose-dependent.
The choice of treatment regimen and duration is determined by the type of virus, the stage of the disease and the course of the infectious process. The course of combined treatment with interferon + ribavirin lasts on average 12 months.
There is no need to self-medicate or use suspicious drugs and remedies. Before using any medication, be sure to consult your doctor, as... Self-medication can harm your body. Please take this disease seriously.
Diet
The general principles of nutrition for patients are:
- Providing complete protein (1.0–1.2 g per kg of weight).
- An increase in its content at . It has been noted that with viral hepatitis C there is pronounced fatty degeneration of hepatocytes.
- Protein restriction in liver failure in the stage of decompensation and threatening coma.
- Adequate fat content up to 80 g/day.
- Providing complex carbohydrates (they should make up 50% of the energy value) through the consumption of cereals, cereals, vegetables and fruits.
- Enrichment of the diet with vitamins (group B, C, folates).
- Control of salt content (limit to 8 g, and for edema and ascites - up to 2 g).
- Inclusion of specialized products in the diet (protein composite mixtures for protein correction of the diet).
To relieve the load on the liver, a patient with hepatitis C needs to create his menu so that it does not contain foods prohibited for consumption. People with hepatitis are completely prohibited from consuming alcoholic beverages and spicy foods. You also need to stop consuming fats of unnatural origin (compound fat, margarine) and those that are poorly digestible (lard, palm oil, lard).
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Patients should follow Diet No. 5 during remission, and during exacerbation - No. 5A. The range of products in this option corresponds to Diet No. 5, but it involves more thorough culinary processing - boiling and mandatory mashing or pureeing. The diet is applied for 2-4 weeks, and then the patient is transferred to the main table.
Prognosis for humans
Hepatitis C, undoubtedly, can threaten serious complications, however, favorable prognoses for this diagnosis are not excluded; moreover, for many years the disease may not manifest itself at all. During this period, it does not require special treatment - the main thing is to ensure appropriate medical supervision. It involves regular testing of liver functions, as a result of which, in case of activation of hepatitis, appropriate antiviral therapy is provided.
How long do people live with hepatitis C?
Regarding the general course of hepatitis C, statistics have the following possible outcomes per 100 patients under consideration:
- from 55 to 85 patients will experience the transition of hepatitis to a chronic form;
- for 70 patients, chronic liver disease may become relevant;
- from 5 to 20 patients in the next 20-30 years will face the development of liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis;
- from 1 to 5 patients will die as a result of the consequences provoked by chronic hepatitis C (again, this is cirrhosis or liver cancer).
Prevention
Basic preventive measures:
- compliance with personal hygiene measures;
- hand treatment and use of gloves when working with blood;
- refusal of casual unprotected sexual relations;
- refusal to take narcotic drugs;
- receiving medical and cosmetology services in official licensed institutions;
- Carrying out regular preventive examinations in case of possible professional contact with blood.
If there is an HCV-infected person living in the family:
- Avoid contact of open cuts and abrasions of an infected person with household items in the house, so that his blood does not have the opportunity to remain on those things that other family members use;
- Do not use common personal hygiene items;
- Do not use this person as a donor.
Hepatitis C is a very dangerous disease because... may not manifest itself for a long time. It is important to undergo diagnosis on time and if a virus is detected in the blood, be sure to begin treatment under the supervision of a specialist. Take care of yourself and your health!
A healthy liver is the key to good health, but not all inhabitants of the planet can boast of a healthy liver, since according to medical indicators, about 30% of the population suffers from one or another liver disease. The danger and insidiousness of such pathologies is that almost all liver diseases in the early stages of their illness do not have pronounced symptoms, but appear only when the disease reaches more serious stages of development.
The first place among all liver pathologies is occupied by hepatitis, which combines several types of acute and chronic diffuse liver lesions, in most cases of viral origin. In the practice of doctors, the most common types of viral hepatitis are groups A, B, C, D, which are quite dangerous to human health and can lead to death.
Hepatitis viruses of these groups have been well studied by medicine, but despite its capabilities, for many the diagnosis of hepatitis sounds like a death sentence, since it is impossible to cure it. Any of the hepatitis viruses is hepatotropic, that is, it affects liver cells, with subsequent damage to internal organs and systems. Considering the complexity and danger of this disease, many are interested in the question of how hepatitis is transmitted from person to person and what are its consequences?
How is hepatitis C transmitted?
Hepatitis C is the most insidious type of virus, which is also called the “gentle killer”, since it can live in the human body for several years and not manifest itself in any way, but significantly harm internal organs and slowly destroy the entire body. Patients or carriers of the hepatitis C virus cannot be distinguished from healthy people. The disease has a sluggish course and does not cause any suspicion in a person. Hepatitis C infection most often occurs in the following ways:
- Hematogenous or parenteral route (through blood) - blood transfusion or sharing a syringe needle by several people.
- Contact. You can become infected with hepatitis C in beauty salons, through piercings, tattoos, through nail scissors and other instruments that have not undergone the necessary sterilization and contain infected blood of a sick person on their surface.
- Medical manipulations. During surgery, the administration of medications, and dental procedures, there is also a risk of contracting this disease.
- Infection through sexual contact. It occurs quite rarely and only in 3% of cases during unprotected sexual intercourse. Hepatitis C is transmitted sexually only in cases of unprotected sexual intercourse. Transmission of the virus through oral sex is little known to medicine.
- Intrauterine infection of the fetus. This route of infection is also quite rare, occurring in less than 5% of cases. But the risk of infection of the child during childbirth is quite high. There is no exact information about whether the disease can be transmitted to a child through breastfeeding, but if a mother in labor suffers from hepatitis C, breastfeeding is recommended to be discontinued.
In any of the above cases, hepatitis C is transmitted only through blood.
Routes of infection for hepatitis B
Damage to the liver by the hepatitis B virus in almost all cases is quite severe and entails a number of complications, including cirrhosis of the liver or stenosis of the bile ducts. The danger of infection is the same as with hepatitis C, that is, transmission to a person from person to person occurs mainly through blood. The virus is not transmitted through household or airborne droplets. The risk of infection increases when using non-sterile medical material. Also, drug addicts who do not follow the rules of sterile syringes often suffer from this disease.
One of the main signs of hepatitis B is yellowing of the skin and sclera of the eyes, which indicates inflammatory processes in the liver tissue.
The routes of transmission of hepatitis B can be natural or artificial, but in either case, infection occurs through infected blood. Artificial infections include infections associated with medical procedures: blood transfusion, lack of sterility of medical instruments. There is a certain risk when performing dental procedures, but only when clinic staff do not use the Anti-Hepatitis and Anti-AIDS instrument processing system. Only processing of medical instruments with this system will protect against the virus.
It is not uncommon to become infected with this disease through invasive diagnostic methods: performing an FGDS, examination by a gynecologist, or by any other doctor who uses non-sterile instruments that contain virus particles. Naturally transmitted hepatitis B infection includes sexual or oral transmission. Promiscuous sexual intercourse, lack of contraception, and frequent changes of sexual partners greatly increase the risk of contracting the hepatitis B virus.
How does hepatitis A become infected?
Hepatitis A, or Botkin's disease, is also of viral origin. At the moment, this is a fairly common form of viral hepatitis. Unlike other types of disease, hepatitis A does not have serious consequences, but infection can occur in several ways. The source of infection for viral hepatitis group A is a sick person. After the infection penetrates into the body, liver parenchyma cells are damaged.
The main route of infection is enteral, that is, infection occurs through the stomach and intestines. You can become infected with this virus through dirty water or shaking hands with a sick person. A person with hepatitis A releases the virus into the environment through their stool. Transmission of the virus can also occur after drinking dirty water, food that has not been properly processed, or household items. Sometimes outbreaks of the disease can occur in an entire family.
The main prevention of the virus is maintaining personal hygiene and eating foods that have undergone the necessary processing. Hepatitis A most often affects children and adults who do not follow the rules of personal hygiene. It is almost impossible to control the sterility of food and water, so the risks of infection are quite high.
How does hepatitis D infection occur?
Hepatitis group D virus, unlike other types, is the most contagious. It has a tendency to mutate and is capable of infecting both humans and animals. Basically, hepatitis D is diagnosed in people with a chronic form of hepatitis B. After the virus enters the human body, it begins to actively multiply, but its first symptoms will appear no earlier than after 4 weeks to 6 months. It is important to know how Hepatitis D is transmitted and how it can enter the human body.
- Blood transfusion. Donors for blood transfusions can often be a person who is a carrier of the virus, but has no signs of illness. In this case, if the blood has not been properly tested, the risk of infection increases several times.
- Reusable use of syringes that may contain blood particles with the virus.
- Carrying out manipulations that may cause damage to the skin: acupuncture, piercing, manicure, pedicure.
- Sexual contact. Unprotected sexual intercourse increases the risk of infection several times, since this virus can be contained not only in the blood, but also in the sperm of a man.
- Infection during childbirth. The type D virus is often transmitted from mother to child during childbirth. The risk of infection also increases with breastfeeding. It is important to note that breast milk itself does not contain the virus, but cracked nipples can cause infection.
- Contact of the blood of a sick person with the skin of a healthy person. In this case, we can talk about medical workers who treat the wounds of patients or draw blood for tests. Hepatitis D is not transmitted through food, water or household objects.
The persistence of the virus is determined by its genotype; you can live with it all your life or be cured at the initial stage. To avoid infection, you need to avoid situations in which the virus is transmitted.
Transmission of the virus occurs through blood, uncontrolled sexual contact or poor hygiene.
To exclude hepatitis C infection, you need to follow the following rules:
The main principle of preventing infection with the hepatitis C virus is to avoid blood-to-blood contact.
Constantly visiting manicure and pedicure salons is fraught with hepatitis infection. Drug addicts most often suffer from hepatitis C; the virus is transmitted through an infected needle and goes into the chronic stage of the disease. Manipulations with contaminated blood during testing may pose a risk of infection to medical workers.
The body tolerates the infection asymptomatically at the initial stage, so it is most often diagnosed in cases of severe liver damage, cirrhosis, injuries and bruises with bleeding. This is due to the long incubation period of the virus, which makes it difficult to diagnose symptoms. Hepatitis C infection can occur during childbirth, from mother to child, or during gynecological procedures. The virus is transmitted from blood-sucking insects.
Possibility of infection through a kiss
Research by scientists has proven that it is possible to become infected through a kiss or saliva, since the virus is transmitted through blood and skin; people with oral diseases are potentially dangerous.
Even if the concentration of the virus in a person’s saliva is negligible, the likelihood of infection is present.
Gum disease can become a breeding ground for bacteria; the virus can be transmitted even through a light kiss. Failure to comply with hygiene rules and use other people's toothbrushes - and hepatitis C will be one hundred percent in the human body. The mucous membranes of the oral cavity may bleed, resulting in infection.
In the absence of bleeding wounds in the oral cavity, the likelihood of infection is negligible. If both partners have gum lesions, there is a very high risk of getting sick through kissing. It matters how much virus is contained in each person’s saliva and how the body tolerates the viral load.
The resistance of the virus to the external environment keeps it viable outside the body for about 4–5 hours, not to mention freezing, when the life of the virus can be maintained for many years in a row. A person's saliva can be infected through the use of someone else's toothbrush, from a carrier of the virus. Particles of infected blood left on the brush enter the mouth of a healthy person, and bacteria begin to multiply.
Consequences of hepatitis C infection
The result of infection may be noticeable during the acute period of the disease or during the chronic stage. Hepatitis infection occurs gradually, over a period of 10 to 200 days, depending on the time of entry of the virus and the presence of concomitant diseases. The acute phase of hepatitis is particularly severe, and rare cases of death have been recorded.
Complications after hepatitis: 
- acute form of hepatitis;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- acquisition of chronic hepatitis;
The most unpredictable course of the disease is asymptomatic hepatitis C; sometimes it is impossible to determine the true source of the disease and the beginning of the incubation period. With proper early diagnosis, a complete cure is possible, and the liver returns to its normal state. Hepatitis C recedes and the body's immune system is restored.
It is very difficult, and in some cases impossible, to predict whether complete recovery will occur. Depending on the severity of the form, remission may occur. Chronic hepatitis lasts for 6 months; long-term treatment may be accompanied by long-term viability of the virus. All this time, the risk of serious complications remains. The virus is transmitted from carriers, when examined, signs of the existing virus are constantly present in the body.
