Hepatitis C and the medical facts
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What is Hepatitis?

Other Medical Complications that can occur as a result of Hepatitis C
Those of who suffer from the Hepatitis C virus often find that over the years they develop other related conditions. These conditions don’t affect the liver but other parts of the body.

The most common of these include joint pain, numbness muscle pain, itching and dryness of the mouth or eyes. A study of medical staff that had Hepatitis C found that seventy four percent of them experienced some joint pain. Fifteen percent had numbness or tingling, uncontrollable itching and muscle pain while eleven percent had the problem of dry eyes and mouth. But this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

There are many conditions that are related to the Hepatitis C virus. Some happen because of the virus and others, while not caused by the infection are more likely to be found in people with Hepatitis C.

Vasculitis is a condition, which is characterized by swelling of the blood vessels and the lymphatic vessels. The symptoms are a purple discoloration of the skin, caused by the bleeding blood vessels and/or a reddish rash caused by more minor bleeding; there can also be fever, muscle aches and pain. This condition can be treated along with the drug treatment therapy a patient should use as it reacts well to Interferon and Ribavirin.

There is a form of kidney disease called Membranous Nephropathy that can occur in patients with Hepatitis C. It’s caused by viral specks becoming dumped into the kidneys eventually causing damage. Again the Interferon treatment will help this.

Mooreen Comeal Ulceration can be a problem for those who are Hepatitis C sufferers. It starts with some pain and inflammation. If left untreated it can lead to loss of sight. The destruction of the salivary glands is caused by an inflammation related to someone having hepatitis. It is called Sialadenitis and is what causes the feeling of dryness in a person’s mouth.

There is a skin disease that is researchers say is caused by the high enzyme production and the excessive proteins in the blood and urine of a patient with Hepatitis C. This disorder, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda, can cause blisters on the skin and discoloring of the skin, which can mean it gets lighter or darker, and hair loss. Treatment includes reduction of iron in the diet, elimination of alcohol in the diet and diminished exposure to the sun. Pruritus is a condition affecting fifteen percent of Hepatitis C sufferers that causes itching that at times can be unbearable.

While all of those conditions show a direct link to the Hepatitis C virus, and many will be eliminated by the usual drug therapy, many more are linked to Hepatitis C not by cause but by the fact that among the population who have the infection these conditions appear more often. These include premature graying of the hair, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas and Thyroid Disease. Not all sufferers will have any or all of these.


The affects of Hepatitis C on pregnancy
Hepatitis C can be difficult to live with at the best of times but how do you manage this infection should you be pregnant?

Vertical Transmission
Many women get worried about how Hepatitis will affect the baby. Will the baby become infected? Will the baby have any long-term medical complications?

Vertical Transmission means a disease or infection being passed from a mother to a child during the birth process. Although the transmission of Hepatitis C from mother to daughter is quite rare, roughly a six percent chance, there is still the possibility of transmission to occur. The risk of passing an infection from mother to child during delivery has not been proven to alter through different delivery methods.

Complications from medication
A pregnant woman with Heptitis C should not take Interferon or Ribavirin (medication taken to alleviate the affects of Hepatitis) during pregnancy. Although there is not any hard evidence to show that these drugs affect a baby during pregnancy, guidelines recommended from the manufacturer say that a woman taking these drugs or 6 months post finishing a course of these drugs should use adequate contraception, as there is a high possibility of birth defects.

Can an infected mother breast-feed?
There is very limited information about the affects of breast-feeding a baby if you are infected with Hepatitis C although guidelines do say the safety of breast-feeding has not been satisfactorily proven so information should be given to all mothers who wish to breast feed so they can make their own decision.

Post birth child medical care
The only precaution taken after birth is to determine if the infection has passed from mother to child, the only issue with diagnosing a new born child with Hepatitis is the fact that passively transferred maternal antibody stays within the child for up to ten months post pregnancy. Most children who are infected through childbirth are normally diagnosed at around the three-month mark.

Why is there a lack of evidence on Hepatitis during pregnancy?
Hepatitis C was only confirmed as a virus in 1989, due to this there is limited information available on the affects Hepatitis has on pregnancy. There is growing evidence and increased awareness on the affects but there is still a lot of study and research is still needed to confirm the evidence as fact.

The other reason why there is a lack of information is because most cases of Hepatitis go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for long periods of time, which makes the ability of monitoring pregnancy cases even harder.

If you are considering having a child and you are not sure if you may have Hepatitis C, you may wish to visit your doctor and ask for tests to be carried out. Should you know that you suffer with Hepatitis C it may be beneficial for you to talk through the affects of the infection on pregnancy with your doctor.

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DISCLAIMER: Information on this website is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

 
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