Hepatitis C Virus trouble for Liver - By: Loveleen Kaur

It is said that the liver is the "laboratory of the body" because performs multiple functions without which life would be impossible. However, may be compromised when attacked by the hepatitis C virus, as it causes considerable damage and prone to cancer.

Nature has many tasks entrusted to the liver, and fighting infections, stops bleeding, removes drugs and toxic substances produced and accumulated bile (a substance that breaks down fats during digestion), and store glucose (sugar) as an energy reserve . As you can see, this body does many things for us, but unfortunately can be affected by the hepatitis C virus, "intruder" that impairs its functions, which can significantly compromise health.

The germ typically enters the body through the bloodstream, and as is reproduced (after approximately five days), the immune system (the one who defends us from infection) starts to make antibodies to destroy it, however, most often not able to properly identify the virus and the infection remains for long periods (even up to 13 years) without feeling any discomfort affected since the disease does not always cause symptoms.

It is very important to note that if a person suffers from Hepatitis C for years, it is highly likely that your liver to stop working and therefore requiring organ transplantation. It is therefore essential that those who have been in contact with sources of infection to seek medical attention promptly always remember that there are manifestations of the disease. Here are the risk factors:
Sharing needles when injecting drugs.
Use syringe more than once.
A body part pierced with a needle contaminated with the virus, which often happens to staff working in hospitals.
Getting a tattoo or piercing with tools that were used with infected persons.
Transmission from mother to child during pregnancy.
Have received blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992, since then still could not detect the virus in the blood.
Having sex with an infected individual, although the chances of infection are minimal.

However, when the disease manifests itself, either shortly after the virus entered the body or to have passed some years, now includes the following:
Fatigue.
Nausea.
Fever.
Loss of appetite.
Stomach pain.
Diarrhea.
Dark urine.
Light-colored stool.
Yellowing of skin and whites of the eyes.

Complication
Many patients with hepatitis C generally have the impression of having flu, fatigue and abdominal pain, so tend not to care about these diseases, because they think they soon will. However, they run the risk of the condition becoming chronic, which occurs when the virus has remained in the body over six months. At this point the disease can become in the following ways:
Persistent. When symptoms are moderate and minor liver damage, but the greatest risk is the transmission of the virus to others.
Activa. The virus gradually destroys the liver, which favors the development of a condition called cirrhosis (tissue death of the organ in question, which is replaced by a fibrous type) or cancer.

As you can see, is indispensable when going to the Hepatologist experienced some risk, since the untreated hepatitis C ends up destroying the liver, which can lead to death. Although there is the option of transplantation is difficult to get such a body, as demand is very large and the supply from deceased donors is very low.

The specialist aforementioned order blood tests, which confirm if you have the disease because of a positive diagnosis, vital fluid sample containing large amounts of a substance, as well as antibodies directed to destroy the microorganism.

You can also confirm the presence of hepatitis C by performing a biopsy, a method that involves the removal of small piece of liver, which is observed through a microscope to see if the virus is and to what degree of damage to the body . This examination is done under local anesthesia and is painless but may feel slight pressure during certain hours in the place where you obtained the tissue sample, which often rise to the ribs.

Finally, it is important to note that even today there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, so it is recommended to all those who have been exposed to the organism requesting blood tests. No doubt this will prevent the disease is complicated and leads to the loss of the body and death.

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