Question 1

what is hepatitis c?

Accepted Answer

A virus: Hepatitis c is a virus that affects the liver.  It is transmitted by blood contact.  About 20% of people fight it off  quickly.  The rest it keeps attacking the liver for years/ decades.  Some people get fatigue, some don't notice it.   Around 20 years of this attack the liver develop cirrhosis and even failure.  There are treatments available, although work is being done on better options.

Question 2

what is hepatitis c ab?

Accepted Answer

Exposure marker: Hepatitis c antibody a immunologic protein the body makes indicating one has been infected by the hepatitis c virus.  It provides no protection against the virus.  80% of patients will not clear the virus from their body and will develop chronic infection.  They will have detectable virus in their blood (viremia).   Even if no virus is detected in the blood, the antibody remains.

Question 3

what is medicine of hepatitis c?

Accepted Answer

Hep C treatment: Standard treatment for hepatitis c has been with peginterferon and ribavirin. Response rates varied depending on the type of hep c virus (called genotype). There are new medications boceprevir and telaprevir which have improved response to treatment.

Question 4

what is the best hepatitis c 2b treatment?

Accepted Answer

Interferon Ribivarin: Treatments consists of a combination of pegylated interferon Alpha and the antiviral drug Ribavirin for a period of 24 or 48 weeks, depending on hcv genotype.When combined with ribavirin, pegylated interferon-alpha-2a may be superior to pegylated interferon-alpha-2b, though the evidence is not strong.

Question 5

what is typical cause for hepatitis c?

Accepted Answer

Body fluid exchange: The most common reason for a hepatitis c infection is due to body fluid exposure, especially blood (i.e. Transfusion).

Question 6

what to do if i want to know what treatment is available for hepatitis c?

Accepted Answer

Many: Hepatitis c treatment has come a long way and the new medications are much more effective at curing the disease. There is pegylated interferon and Ribavirin (pr) as the standard medication. New meds like telaprevir and bocepravir have been added to (pr). In ~ 1 year, new meds are coming that are interferon free. Talk to your hepatologist regarding which treatment is best for you.

Question 7

what is the difference between hepatitis c viral load and hepetitis c genotype?

Accepted Answer

Numbers and type: Viral load refers to how many viral molecules can be detected in the blood. It gives an idea about how active the virus is and can be used to monitor response to therapy. Genotype refers to a test that can identify subtypes of hep c. Certain genotypes are more likely to respond to a given therapy, so this information can be useful in deciding in what treatment, if any, would be best.

Question 8

what is the meaning of: hepatitis c antibody reactive  with sgnal to cut-off: 34.00?

Accepted Answer

(+) test for Hep C: This means the body has had exposure to hep c and the immune system now remembers to fight the infection and has memory cells that carry antibodies against hep c.  It may mean active infection as 75% are not able to clear the infection completely or past infxn if you are 1 of lucky 25% that kills all the virus at first encounter.  The cut off signal is the laboratory's reference point of (+) or (-.

Question 9

why is hepatitis c so bad?

Accepted Answer

Liver Cancer: Not everyone with hepatitis c will get liver cancer or cirrhosis. Alcohol and hep c are a bad combination. Mickey mantle likely developed cirrhosis and liver cancer from this combination. If you do have hep c, you should see a doctor.

Question 10

does hepatitis c have a cure?

Accepted Answer

Possibly: There are several treatments, but depending on the person and the strain of virus, not everyone is cured.

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What is hepatitis c

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What is hepatitis c?

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What is the difference between hepatitis c viral load and hepetitis c genotype?

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What is the meaning of: hepatitis c antibody reactive with sgnal to cut-off: 34.00?

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Why is hepatitis c so bad?

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