Causes Causes of hepatitis C infection are in most cases transmission of the virus via blood contact. This can be due to a lack of hygiene standards for tattoos, piercings or the use of syringes and needles (especially in the drug scene), blood products (blood transfusions), organ transplants or dialysis. Transfusions through needle-stick injuries or … Causes | Hepatitis C
Infection Infection with a hepatitis C virus usually occurs through blood contact. If infected blood – even small amounts, such as on an already used syringe – is brought into the bloodstream of a healthy person, an infection is quite likely. The risk of infection via blood products (e.g. in the course of a transfusion) … Infection | Hepatitis C
Frequencies Worldwide, about 3% of the population is chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus, in Germany the infection rate is 0.5%. This means that there are about 400,000 infected persons in Germany. Every year about 5000 new cases are added. It should be mentioned that 80% of all drug addicts (intravenous drug application) in … Frequencies | Hepatitis C
Complications Approximately 80% of all adult hepatitis C infections occur as a chronic infection that causes no symptoms at the beginning of the disease and is therefore discovered late. The hepatitis C virus has a damaging influence on the liver cells and puts them under chronic “stress”. Within 20 years, the liver cells of 20% … Complications | Hepatitis C
Drugs Interferon Alpha is a messenger substance produced by the body that activates immune cells of the virus defence (lymphocytes). However, since the activity of the lymphocytes is normally not sufficient to contain hepatitis C, interferon alpha is added therapeutically to increase the activity to a sufficient level. However, since interferon alpha is excreted by … Drugs | Hepatitis C
Vaccination So far there is no approved vaccination against the Hepatitis C virus. The only protection against infection with the virus is to avoid blood-blood contact with hepatitis C infected persons. In addition, there are no measures to prevent infection after possible contact with the pathogen (post-exposure prophylaxis). However, a lot of research has been … Vaccination | 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 … Drink hepatitis C and alcohol | Hepatitis C
Synonyms in the broadest sense Liver inflammation, liver parenchymal inflammation type C, acute and chronic viral hepatitis C, hepatitis C virus (HCV), infectious jaundice of virus type C, hepatitis non-A-non-B (NANB), post-transfusion hepatitis. Definition Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus and most commonly transmitted via blood and … Hepatitis C
Introduction Hepatitis C can manifest itself through various symptoms. Some sufferers feel a feeling of pressure in the right upper abdomen, in others the skin turns yellowish (jaundice). Some people who have become infected with hepatitis C even remain symptom-free. The following article provides an overview of the most common symptoms of hepatitis C. Frequency … Symptoms of Hepatitis C
Jaundice as a symptom of hepatitis C Jaundice is also called icterus in medical terminology. It is a yellow coloration of the skin, mucous membrane and sclera (white part of the eyes). The coloration is caused by the fact that the so-called bilirubin is deposited there. The liver is an important organ in the metabolism … Jaundice as a symptom of hepatitis C | Symptoms of Hepatitis C
Loss of performance in hepatitis C The loss of performance refers primarily to the decrease in physical capacity. In hepatitis C, this is mainly due to the reduced metabolic performance of the liver. On the one hand, the food that the affected person ingests is not properly metabolized. As a result, significantly fewer nutrients enter … Loss of performance in hepatitis C | Symptoms of Hepatitis C
Itching in hepatitis C Cirrhosis of the liver is a secondary disease of hepatitis C. The chronic damage to the liver leads to the destruction of liver cells. At the same time, the liver tissue is remodeled so that more and more fibrous structures develop. This remodelling means that a lot of connective tissue is … Itching in hepatitis C | Symptoms of Hepatitis C