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This section features responses from health professionals
to questions about hepatitis C.
What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is an infectious virus
that is carried in the blood and affects the liver. It's an infection
that is increasing rapidly in Canada and around the world. More than
5,000 individuals in Canada-mostly young people-get this virus each
year.
Why is hepatitis C a health concern?
While not identified until 1989,
the hepatitis C virus has been around for a very long time. Many infected
people do not know they have the virus because for some, there will
be no symptoms and for others, the symptoms may not show up for 20
to 30 years. During this time, they can spread the disease to others.
You may not know you have this disease until damage has already been
done to your liver. That's why you need to know if you're at risk.
Could I have hepatitis C?
Like HIV and hepatitis B, hepatitis
C is spread through contact with the blood of infected people. This
can happen if you:
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Ever, even once, shared needles,
straws used for snorting drugs, pipes, spoons and other drug-related
equipment. (This virus was around when sharing such equipment
was common in the 1960s and 1970s.) Cleaning with bleach may
not kill the hepatitis C virus. |
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Got a tattoo or had body piercing
or acupuncture where the operator used unsterile or homemade
equipment or unsterile techniques. |
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Were pricked by a needle that
had infected blood on it (this could happen in the workplace).
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Were born to a mother who has
hepatitis C. |
It is possible that hepatitis C can be spread if
you have ever shared personal household articles such as a razor
or toothbrush with an infected person. People who had blood transfusions before 1992 are
also at risk for developing the disease.
Hepatitis C is NOT spread by casual contact,
such as hugging, kissing or shaking hands, or by being around someone
who is sneezing or coughing. The virus is not found in food or water.
How can I find out if I have hepatitis
C?
If you think you may be at risk for hepatitis C, you should take
the simple blood test for this disease. For more information, contact
a health care professional.
What can happen to people with hepatitis
C?
The illness begins almost like a 'flu' with fatigue, a fever, body
aches and pains, and perhaps nausea and vomiting. The urine may
become dark brown. In severe infections, the skin or the eyes may
turn yellow (jaundice).
Although people who get hepatitis C may not
have symptoms, or feel ill for only a short time, they may carry
the hepatitis C virus in their bloodstream and be infectious for
years. You may have hepatitis C and not realize it because it is
difficult to know when you are in the first or "acute"
phase. In the majority of cases, hepatitis C progresses to a "chronic"
stage which lasts for a long time, perhaps a person's whole life.
The worst effect of this is a condition called "cirrhosis" which
results in severe damage to the liver. A small number of people
may get liver cancer.
Your liver and why you need it
It's important to keep your liver healthy because it does a lot
of things for you. It helps digest food and also stores vitamins
and minerals. But most important, the liver acts as a filter for
chemicals and other substances that enter the body, including toxins
in the air that we breathe and in what we eat and drink. It is also
important in the manufacture of your blood and many proteins.
How can I avoid getting hepatitis C?
The best way to keep yourself safe from hepatitis C is to avoid
the risks.
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Don't share drug needles or drug-related
equipment, ever. |
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Wear latex gloves if you are likely
to be in contact with someone's blood. |
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If you have sex with more than
one partner, you should use a condom. |
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If you are getting a tattoo, or
planning to have body piercing or acupuncture, check things
out first. Choose a reputable licensed* person to do this for
you and make sure that everything is clean. NEVER allow anyone
to use homemade equipment on you or re-use equipment, including
needles, ink or jewelry. Only fresh, single-use, disposable
needles must be used and all other equipment must be disinfected
and sterile. Cleaning with bleach may not kill the hepatitis
C virus. |
* Where licensing available.
What if I have hepatitis C?
Do not consume alcohol. There are medications called interferon and ribavirin
that can be used to treat hepatitis C. However, you need to discuss
with your doctor the side effects associated with these drugs. There
is no vaccination against hepatitis C. To prevent further damage to your liver, your doctor
may advise you to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis
B. Many provinces and territories provide these vaccinations at
no cost to you. If you have hepatitis C, you may infect others.
To keep from spreading the virus:
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Don't share needles, straws, pipes
or any other drug-related equipment. |
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Don't share toothbrushes, razors
or any other ordinary personal item that could be contaminated
with your blood. |
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Cover open sores or breaks in
your skin. |
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If you have more than one sex
partner, you should use a condom. Sex partners should be told
that the risk of transmission during sexual activity may increase
when there are open sores and, if the woman is infected, during
her menstrual periods. In general, couples who only have sex
with each other should be informed that the risk of hepatitis
C being sexually transmitted is minimal but not absent. |
Who is most likely to get hepatitis C?
Since HCV is usually spread through
direct contact with infected blood or blood products, people who
are most likely to get it are as follows:
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drug users who share needles,
spoons, straws and other drug-related equipment that are contaminated
with HCV |
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people who get tattoos or body
parts pierced with dirty or unsterile needles and ink |
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people who received blood transfusions
or blood products before 1992 |
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people who share a razor or toothbrush
with someone who has hepatitis C |
Is it easy to get hepatitis C?
If you live or work with someone who has hepatitis C, you will NOT
get the disease from day-to-day contact. To get hepatitis C, you
must share blood or body fluids containing blood with a person who
has the disease.
Can I get hepatitis C from having sex?
Your chance of getting hepatitis C from having sex is very low.
This is true for both heterosexuals (straights) and homosexuals
(gays/lesbians). Studies show that having multiple sex partners
and being infected with HIV may increase the risk of HCV infection.
However, people with multiple sexual partners should always practice
safer sex, not only to protect themselves against HCV but to prevent
getting other infections. In general, longstanding sexual partners
need to be informed that although the risk of HCV transmission sexually
is very low, it is not absent. Long-term monogamous couples should
decide for themselves about routine condom use.
Can babies get hepatitis C from their mothers?
Yes, they can. Some studies show that between 5 to 10 women out
of 100 who have HCV might pass it to their babies before OR at the
time of birth. Transmission of HCV from mother to child occurs more
frequently in mothers who are also infected with HIV. Studies show
that the chance of passing HCV from mother to baby during breastfeeding
is highly unlikely. However, if the nipples are bleeding or cracked,
it is recommended that breastfeeding be suspended until they have
healed
What are the signs of hepatitis C?
Most people infected with HCV show no symptoms and feel healthy
for years.Other people feel tired, suffer from joint pain or don't
feel like eating (no appetite). Some people have a yellow look to
their eyes and skin. This yellow look is called jaundice.
How can I know for sure if I have hepatitis
C?
The only way to find out for sure is by having a blood test. Your
doctor can order a blood test for you.
What if the blood test is positive?
If you have a positive result, your doctor may order a second blood
test. The second test will:
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to determine whether the virus
is really in your blood |
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to check the state of your liver |
A small number of people get very mild cases
of hepatitis C. They are able to get rid of the disease within six
months. But when these people have a blood test, antibodies to HCV
can show up. A second test is needed to find out if the virus is
really there. In most cases, people with HCV infection do NOT get
rid of it. They will have HCV infection for the rest of their lives.
If you have hepatitis C, your family doctor may suggest you see
a doctor who knows a lot about liver infections (a specialist).
This doctor can help you decide if you need treatment.
How do I live with hepatitis C?
You may need to make some changes
in your life. You should:
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eat food that will keep you healthy
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stop drinking alcohol (this means
NO beer, wine or any kind of alcohol) |
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be tested for evidence of infection
with hepatitis A, hepatitis B and HIV |
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receive the hepatitis A vaccine
if your blood tests show that you have never had hepatitis A
previously |
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receive the hepatitis B vaccine
if your blood tests show that you have never had hepatitis B
previously |
What kinds of treatment are there?
For those whose hepatitis C infection
is more advanced, drug treatment may be appropriate and must be
administered after careful assessment by your doctor. The best current
treatment strategy is the use of two antiviral drugs together, inteferon
alfa-2b plus ribavirin. New drugs are being developed. Herbal treatments
may not be particularly helpful for treatment of hepatitis C. Research
is urgently required in this area.
What happens as I get older?
Most people feel well for years.
"Chronic hepatitis C" is the term for having hepatitis
C for a long time. About 20 out of 100 people with chronic hepatitis
C will develop bad scars in their liver. This is called cirrhosis
of the liver. A small proportion of people with chronic hepatitis
C get liver cancer. People with severe liver damage from hepatitis
C may need a liver transplant.
If I have hepatitis C, how can I make sure
I don't pass it on?
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Do not donate blood, organs for
transplants or semen for artificial insemination. |
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Do not share your razor or toothbrush.
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Do not inject illegal drugs. If
you do, never share needles or drug related equipment |
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Tell any doctor, nurse or dental
professional who provides care for you that you have hepatitis
C |
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Before you have sex, tell your
partner that you have hepatitis C |
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Practise safer sex by using a
condom |
REMEMBER:
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Hepatitis C can be treated. It
is important to find out if you have the virus and to get treatment
as soon as possible. |
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