How hepatitis C treatment is done?

Introduction

About a century ago humans had very poor knowledge about viruses. But as time has progressed, our understanding of viruses which includes their structure, mode of transmission, and their virulence factor has increased dramatically. Consequently, humans know how to manage viral diseases more effectively. Take the example of the hepatitis C virus. Some years before, a large number of hepatitis C patients used to die annually, without any hope of recovery. But now? Medical science has evolved for goof! In today’s discussion, we are going to talk about hepatitis C, its treatment about an organization that funds hepatitis C treatment in Pakistan. It is a costly treatment, so if anyone in your vicinity is struggling with the funds, we have something that will interest you!

What happens in hepatitis C?

Before we talk about the treatment, it is important to have an overview of the viral infection itself. What causes hepatitis C? A virus that can infect the human liver. While some of the viruses cause mild infections, the case of the hepatitis C virus is different. If left undiagnosed or unattended, the virus can lead to scarring of the liver which is known as liver cirrhosis. This is the point where your liver loses its ability to recover after a certain degree of damage has been inflicted, courtesy of a disease, or drink. If hepatitis C is diagnosed early, liver cirrhosis can be avoided. The old/chronic hepatitis C treatment is certainly more challenging than the acute one.

Early symptoms of Hepatitis C

What are some of the earliest symptoms of hepatitis C? Before we enlist them, you should know that there are two stages of hepatitis in general. These are acute (short-termed but intense) and chronic(long-termed but mild). The symptoms of the acute stage are multiple, the most common of which is high temperature. Then, the infected individual is likely to suffer from fatigue, as well as the loss of hunger. In rare instances, jaundice is reported as well. On the other hand, the symptoms of chronic hepatitis C include muscular pain, bloating, abdominal pain, and in some cases, the inability to focus properly.

Hepatitis C treatment

Which genotype got the patient is the first question that needs to be answered in this debate. One of the biggest factors that decide what kind of treatment a hepatitis C patient gets is the genotype of the virus. Of course, one of the preliminary steps in hepatitis C treatment is the liver test. The extent of damage to your liver needs to be assessed! Then, lifestyle habits are also brought under the microscope. This is important since habits like drinking can add more fuel to the fire of cirrhosis. Then, based on the sketch drawn using these findings, a treatment plan is devised. Some of the common medicines used to treat the hepatitis C virus infection include simeprevir, sofosbuvir, and ribavirin. 

HCV treatment guidelines 2019

Every year, concerned and competent health bodies all over the world release new guidelines about hepatitis C treatment. Is there anything new in the HCV treatment guidelines 2019? Well, we would hate to bore you with the details, but you should know that these guidelines stress mostly upon choosing the right kind of regimen for the initial treatment of hepatitis C infection. This is an observation valid for chronic cases of this viral infection. The guidelines also stress the simplification of the treatment regimen.

Is there any new hepatitis C treatment?

Every year, the organizations like FDA and CDC approve or reject the new proposals from clinical trials. In March of 2019, the FDA approved a supplemental regimen for children suffering from hepatitis C. This goes on to show that as the viruses mutate and evolve, the need for new drugs and treatments will remain. Hence, virologists all over the world are in search of new hepatitis C treatments every day. It is a monster with many heads, but the fight is certainly on! 

An organization that offers free hepatitis C treatment!

Hepatitis C treatment is not within everyone’s reach. One place that is helping people in this regard is Transparent Hands. You can fund HCV treatments at Transparent Hands.

When it comes to crowdfunding for health, there is no platform bigger than Transparent Hands in Pakistan. The range of healthcare services offered by Transparent Hands is astoundingly vast. From medical and surgical treatments to medical camps and telehealth facilities, the NGO makes sure that the underprivileged Pakistanis have access to quality healthcare services. The NGO believes in creating a patient-donor bond while making sure that the protocols of transparency aren’t breached at any point. The NGO realizes the need for free medical camps in the rural areas, hence it actively sets up such camps as well. To donate, donors can log in to the Transparent Hands crowdfunding web portal from anywhere in the world. Payment modes are one hundred percent secure. Every donor has absolute freedom in selecting and funding patients of their choice. The NGO makes sure that regular updates until complete recovery are sent to the concerned donor.

Other types of hepatitis

Before we jump to the conclusion of this discussion, we wanted to recap certain other types of hepatitis as well. There are five major types of hepatitis which include A, B, C, D, and E. We have talked about HCV in detail, but what about other types? Well, hepatitis B is transmitted via fluids, hepatitis E via contaminated food while hepatitis D gets one only if they have been infected with hepatitis B already.

Conclusion

Well, folks, that would be all for now. We hope that you learned something new from this discussion about the hepatitis C virus and its treatment. Having discussed both of these topics, we still feel that adoption hygienic measures are the only way forward. If you are eliminating the sources of infection, you are killing the virus itself. And the lesser are the chances of HCV’s survival, the lower the risk of infection becomes. So stay clean, stay safe!