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Medication
Your Hep C Team
- Primary Care Doctor. This doctor is the one you see for physical exams and any kind of health concern you have. ...
- Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist, and Infectious Disease Specialist. ...
- Physician Assistants/Nurse Practitioners. ...
- Pharmacist. ...
- Dietitian. ...
- Therapist. ...
- Your Role. ...
Procedures
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) contributes to liver-related morbidity and ... although prevalence estimates varied by province 2. Effective antiviral treatment for HCV exists but is not accessible for most inhabitants of SSA, thus perpetuating the epidemic.
Self-care
What are the best hepatitis C drugs?
- Understanding hepatitis C genotypes. ...
- Ribavirin (Copegus and Rebetol) Ribavirin is one of the older drugs that doctors prescribe for hepatitis infections. ...
- Combination medications for all genotypes. ...
- Medications for genotype 1. ...
- Medications for genotype 2. ...
- Medications for genotype 3. ...
- Medications for genotype 4. ...
- Medications for genotype 5 and 6. ...
- Takeaway. ...
Nutrition
These will include 1:
- Liver tests (or liver panel). This blood test assesses how well your liver is functioning and includes liver enzymes alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), bilirubin, and albumin.
- Prothrombin time. ...
- Complete blood count. ...
- Kidney function, blood glucose and lipid levels, and thyroid function tests
- Vitamin D
- Pregnancy. ...
What type of doctor should you see about hepatitis C?
What is the best cure for hepatitis C?
What is the most common treatment for hepatitis C?
How do doctors diagnose hepatitis C?
What doctor do you go to for hep C?
If you have hepatitis C, it's a good idea to get treatment from a hepatologist, gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist, or nurse practitioner who focuses on liver disease. Ask your primary care doctor or local community health center for a referral to specialist in your area.
Which doctor is best for hepatitis?
Hepatologist: A gastroenterologist with extensive training in liver disease is a hepatologist. These physicians are subspecialists with many years of training and are experts in all the diseases that affect the liver, especially hepatitis.
Does a gastroenterologist deal with hep C?
Healthcare professionals who treat hep C include primary care physicians, hepatologists, gastroenterologists, or infectious disease specialists.
Why do you see a gastroenterologist for hep C?
Gastroenterologists and hepatologists both focus on diagnosing and treating diseases that affect the liver. Due to this, they are well-placed to treat those with significant liver damage from hepatitis C. Infectious disease specialists can also manage HCV infections.
Can a GP treat hepatitis?
See your GP as soon as possible if you think you may have been exposed to the hepatitis B virus. To help stop you becoming infected, they can give you: a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine – you'll also need 2 further doses over the next few months to give you long-term protection.
Can hep C be cured completely?
The good news is hepatitis C is curable. Though it is a chronic infection, recently developed drugs can clear the virus completely from the system.
Can Hep C cause GI issues?
The pain that Hepatitis patients experience is usually in the gastrointestinal tract, specifically the stomach. The discomfort can be very severe and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In addition to these these problems, Hepatitis C may cause varices or swollen blood vessels in the esophagus and stomach.
What is Hepatology Department?
Hepatology is an area of medicine that focuses on diseases of the liver as well as related conditions. A hepatologist is a specialized doctor involved in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic diseases, which include issues that affect your: liver. gallbladder.
Does Hep C cause stomach bloating?
Chronic hepatitis C causes cirrhosis and presents the same symptoms of acute hepatitis C, along with the following: abdominal swelling.
Can Hep C cause pain in right side?
Many chronic HCV sufferers also complain of getting aches and pains. Large numbers get sharp pains over the liver (found in the upper right corner of the abdomen) which can sometimes be very alarming. These pains are not necessarily connected with severe liver disease.
Does hepatitis cause stomach issues?
If you do, hepatitis signs and symptoms can include: Fatigue. Sudden nausea and vomiting. Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially on the upper right side beneath your lower ribs (by your liver)
What kind of doctor treats hepatitis C?
There are several different types of specialists who can treat hepatitis C, including: hepatologists, who focus on diagnosing and treating diseases that affect the liver. gastroenterologists, who focus on diagnosing and treating diseases that affect the digestive system, including the liver.
What is a hepatitis C specialist?
A hepatitis C specialist can help you understand and weigh your treatment options. They can also help you manage potential side effects of treatment. Here are five tips to help you find a doctor who can meet your treatment needs.
What doctor can treat liver disease?
If you’ve sustained significant liver damage from hepatitis C, it might be best to visit a hepatologist or gastroenterologist. Some nurse practitioners also focus on treating liver disease. An infectious disease specialist can help treat the infection itself, but they may be less qualified to treat damage to your liver.
Why is medical expertise important?
Medical expertise is important — but it’s not the only thing that matters when it comes to providing medical care. It’s also important to find a specialist whose demeanor and attitudes are compatible with your needs and preferences.
What happens if you visit an out of network specialist?
If you visit an out-of-network specialist, you may have to pay more. To learn if a specialist is covered by your insurance plan, contact your insurance provider. They can help you learn how much you’ll have to pay out of pocket to visit the specialist. They can also share the names of other specialists who are in your network.
Can hepatitis C cause liver failure?
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can damage your liver. If left untreated, it can cause serious complications, including liver failure. But in most cases, proper treatment can cure the infection.
Can you work together with a doctor for hepatitis C?
If you’re not comfortable with your specialist or their recommended treatment plan, it may be time to find another doctor. The more effectively you can communicate with your doctor, the easier it will be for you to work together to treat hepatitis C.
How to find the right doctor for hepatitis C?
How to find the right doctor. Finding the correct doctor to treat hepatitis C first involves a visit to a primary care physician (PCP). During this consultation, the PCP will recommend the type of specialist who is most qualified to treat the individual. They can also write a referral.
How do you test for hepatitis C?
Doctors check for hepatitis C through a blood test called an HCV antibody test. When a person contracts HCV, their immune system releases HCV antibodies into the bloodstream. The HCV antibody test looks for the presence of these proteins.
How does HCV spread?
HCV spreads through contact with the blood of a person with the infection. There are two subsets of HCV: acute and chronic. All chronic hepatitis C infections start as an acute infection, but not every acute infection becomes a chronic infection. An acute infection rarely causes symptoms, which means that many people do not get a diagnosis ...
What is the long term outlook of hepatitis C?
Treatment. Long-term outlook. Summary. Hepatitis C is a viral disease that occurs when a person contracts the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Various medications can treat hepatitis C, but the infection can lead to liver failure if a person does not receive timely treatment.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
Possible symptoms include: yellowing of the skin and eyes called jaundice. feeling tired and weak. nausea. fever. muscle aches. Most people with a chronic hepatitis C infection are also asymptomatic. However, in some cases, a person may notice nonspecific symptoms, such as chronic fatigue and depression.
How do you know if you have a virus?
An acute infection rarely causes symptoms, which means that many people do not get a diagnosis at this stage. If a person does experience symptoms, these may appear between 2 weeks and 3 months after exposure to the virus. Possible symptoms include: 1 yellowing of the skin and eyes called jaundice 2 feeling tired and weak 3 nausea 4 fever 5 muscle aches
What happens if you have a positive HCV test?
For this reason, if a blood test returns a positive HCV result, the doctor will order another blood test to check for an active infection. This test, called the nucleic acid test (NAT) Trusted Source.
What happens if you don't get hepatitis C?
If you have chronic hepatitis C and don't get it treated, it can lead to serious conditions like scarring of your liver (known as cirrhosis) or, in rare cases, liver cancer. A team of doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals can give you treatment and care to help keep that from happening.
What is the difference between a gastroenterologist and a hepatologist?
A gastroenterologist is a doctor who has specific training in disorders that affect the organs in your digestive system, including your liver. A hepatologist is a kind of gastroenterologist who focuses on problems with your liver. An infectious disease specialist is a doctor who has special training in infections, ...
What is an infectious disease specialist?
An infectious disease specialist is a doctor who has special training in infections, using antibiotics to treat infections, and the effects antibiotics can cause. One of these specialists -- or a team of them -- will: Recommend tests to make sure you have hepatitis C. Find out how well your liver is working. Work with you to create a treatment plan.
What do you tell your primary care doctor about your condition?
If specialists are handling your treatment, they’ll tell your primary care doctor about how it’s going and how you’re doing. This is so your doctor can keep an eye on how the condition -- or the medicine you take for it -- affects the rest of your body.
Who can explain how and when to take medicine?
Prescribing medicine. Pharmacist. Along with your doctor, your pharmacist also can explain how and when to take your medicine and answer questions about side effects. They also can help make sure your treatment plan won’t interfere with other medications you take.
What to do if you have hepatitis C?
If you receive a diagnosis of hepatitis C, your doctor will likely recommend certain lifestyle changes. These measures will help keep you healthy longer and protect the health of others as well:
What is the best treatment for hepatitis C?
Liver transplantation. If you have developed serious complications from chronic hepatitis C infection, liver transplantation may be an option. During liver transplantation , the surgeon removes your damaged liver and replaces it with a healthy liver.
How old do you have to be to get tested for hepatitis C?
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all adults ages 18 to 79 years be screened for hepatitis C, even those without symptoms or known liver disease. Screening for HCV is especially important if you're at high risk of exposure, including: Anyone who has ever injected or inhaled illicit drugs.
How long does it take for hepatitis C to clear?
The goal of treatment is to have no hepatitis C virus detected in your body at least 12 weeks after you complete treatment.
How to prevent liver damage?
Avoid medications that may cause liver damage. Review your medications with your doctor, including over-the-counter medications you take as well as herbal preparations and dietary supplements. Your doctor may recommend avoiding certain medications. Help prevent others from coming in contact with your blood.
How long does it take to cure hepatitis C?
As a result, people experience better outcomes, fewer side effects and shorter treatment times — some as short as eight weeks.
How to prepare for a liver appointment?
Because appointments can be brief and because there's often a lot to discuss, it's a good idea to be well prepared. To prepare, try to: Review your medical record. This is particularly important if you are seeing a liver specialist (hepatologist) for the first time after finding out you have hepatitis C.
What kind of doctor is a viral hepatitis patient?
If you are diagnosed with viral hepatitis or any other form of hepatitis, you would generally be referred to either a gastroenterologist, who specializes in diseases of the digestive tract (including the liver), or a hepatologist, who specializes solely in diseases of the liver. 1.
Who treats hepatitis?
However, while many patients can be treated by their primary care doctor or nurse practitioner, sometimes a specialist needs to be involved in very complicated or unusual hepatitis cases. There are three physician specialties with training in managing hepatitis.
What is a gastroenterologist?
Hepatologist: A gastroenterologist with extensive training in liver disease is a hepatologist. These physicians are subspecialists with many years of training and are experts in all the diseases that affect the liver, especially hepatitis.
What is the role of a nurse in hepatitis care?
Nurses are a crucial part of the healthcare system and are frequently described as being the eyes and arms of physicians. They implement treatment plans and alert the doctor of any problems.
Why do you need an infectious disease specialist?
An infectious disease specialist can be beneficial if a person is co-infected with HIV as they often have the expertise to manage both conditions. An infectious disease specialist is also sometimes sought if hepatitis is caused by an infectious pathogen other than hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E. 4.
How long does it take to become a doctor of medicine?
These doctors complete four years of training in medical school and then complete an additional training program of at least three years' duration ...
What is multi specialty hepatitis?
This means that several types of physicians come together to provide expert care. It may be that in your case, you will be treated by several different sub-specialist physicians. '.
How long does it take to cure hepatitis C?
Treatments are available that can cure most people with hepatitis C in 8 to 12 weeks. Printable version of this page: English.
What happens if you get hepatitis C?
Left untreated, chronic hepatitis C can cause serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death.
What to do if HCV antibody test is reactive?
What to do if the HCV antibody test is reactive. ► If the antibody test is reactive or positive, you need an additional test to see if you currently have hepatitis C. This test is called a nucleic acid test (NAT) for HCV RNA. Another name used for this test is a PCR test. ► If the NAT for HCV RNA is:
How long does it take for an anti-HCV test to come back?
Antibodies are chemicals released into the bloodstream when someone gets infected. Test results can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to come back.
Does reactive antibody test mean you have hepatitis C?
► A reactive antibody test does not necessarily mean that you currently have hepatitis C and a follow-up test is needed.
How long does it take to cure HCV?
Hepatitis C can be cured. Over 90 percent of people infected with HCV can be cured with 8-12 weeks of oral therapy.
Should hepatitis C be tested?
Patients with recognized exposures (such as use of injection drugs) should be tested for hepatitis C regardless of age or setting prevalence, and regular periodic testing should continue as long as risk persists .
Can HCV cause liver cancer?
Chronic HCV infection does not cause symptoms in most people but can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Without treatment, HCV infection can lead to severe liver disease, liver cancer, and even death. Hepatitis C can be cured; testing is the first step.
