Drink hepatitis C and alcohol | Hepatitis C

Drink hepatitis C and alcohol

The consumption of alcohol has negative effects on the infection with hepatitis C. On the one hand, drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Secondly, it worsens the course of hepatitis C infection. Studies have found that patients infected with the virus who abstain from alcohol altogether have an easier course. Further studies indicate that the consumption of alcohol also has a negative effect on therapy because it weakens the effect of interferon, which is often given as part of hepatitis C therapy.

Are you allowed to breastfeed with Hepatits C?

This question cannot be answered in a generally valid way, but must be decided in each individual case. The genetic material of the hepatitis C virus, the RNA, has been detected in breast milk in studies.The current data situation cannot exclude the possibility that newborns of hepatitis C-positive mothers may become infected through breastfeeding. However, transmission through breastfeeding is quite unlikely if care is taken not to breastfeed if the nipples are inflamed and/or bleeding.

Nevertheless, there is no general recommendation to breastfeed these children. Affected parents should be informed by gynecologists and pediatricians about the respective risk. This risk can vary depending on the severity of the infection in the mother and the therapy.