Homeopathy Is Alternative To Antiviral Hepatitis C Treatment
Homeopathy Is Alternative To Antiviral Hepatitis C Treatment
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was first identified in 1987, and it is now believed that almost 300 million people are infected. The first six months after infection are referred to as acute hepatitis. After that the disease is called chronic hepatitis. Hepatitis C treatment conventionally involved antiviral drugs like ribavarin, Pegasys and PEG-Intron. These often have quite bad, and physically demanding, side effects, especially difficult for some patients such as ex-drug and alcohol abusers, and some may favor homeopathic treatments.
Most cases of hepatitis are caused by viruses, which include hepatitis types A-E. The existence of hepatitis C (HCV) was first suspected in the 1970s, and the virus was definitively identified in 1987. It is now believed that 300 million people are infected around the world.
HCV is transmitted by blood contact. This can occur during blood transfusions, sexual contact, sporting injuries, and via unsterilized needles. Outside the developed world most cases occur medically, via unscreened blood products, and unsterilized medical equipment, such as needles.
In developed countries, such as the United States, the risks of transmission via blood transfusion and medical equipment, are almost negligible as proper procedures are followed, and all blood donors are routinely screened. There are however many people who became infected before the virus was identified, and proper screening was implemented.
Most commonly in the developed world people become infected with HCV via unsterilized needles, often being shared by groups of intravenous drug abusers. Tattooing and body piercing equipment are also common routes for the infection to spread. Sexual transmission is now believed to be relatively uncommon, and really only a problem in the presence of any other STD which might cause open sores in the genital area.
The acute phase of hepatitis occurs during the first 6 months. Often (60-70% of cases) there are no symptoms, and if there are symptoms they can be very mild and non-specific, making diagnosis in this phase very uncommon. If symptoms do occur in the acute phase they may be flu-like symptoms such as tiredness and fatigue, decreased appetite etc. Other symptoms can include jaundice, itching and abdominal pain.
When hepatitis lasts for more than six months it is referred to as chronic hepatitis. Often there are no symptoms, and the disease may only be discovered accidentally in a routine checkup. This does not mean that the disease is harmless, as it will over time progress to liver scarring (fibrosis) and advanced scarring (cirrhosis).
The long term effects of HCV infection are fibrosis and cirrhosis, but the rate at which the damage occurs is the source of some dispute. This may be because the disease has only been identified for the last 20 or so years, so longer term studies are difficult. Some studies do however estimate that two in three HCV infected people will develop cirrhosis over a thirty year period.
In some cases the chronic infection will clear itself without any treatment, but in most cases hepatitis C treatment will be required. At the moment a combination of the antiviral drugs Pegasys, PEG-Intron and ribavirin are usually prescribed. Treatment lasts between 24 and 48 weeks depending on the specific HCV genotype. Treatment can be physically difficult, especially for those with a history of drug and alcohol abuse. In some cases patients can register as disabled during the treatment period. Homeopathic treatments are also available, which can show reduction in the viral load, without side effects associated with the antiviral treatment.
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