What is
hepatitis C?
The inflammation
and damage or scarring of the liver caused to the Hepatitis C virus
is what is referred to as the Hepatitis C infection. This condition
may be acute i.e. short term or chronic i.e. long term. When the
virus multiplies rapidly the antibodies produced are insufficient to
handle the infection and it becomes chronic. This long term infection
may lead to scarring of the liver or liver damage. Hep C today is the
major cause of liver transplants.
Symptoms of
Hepatitis C-
Hepatitis C
infection is the slow killer of the liver. Its symptoms are not very
loud and can be missed for years. Millions of people in India are
carriers of Hepatitis and more than 35% do not show any symptoms at
all. Patients may experience symptoms like weakness, fatigue, stomach
ache or nausea or jaundice. Only when the virus has infected a large
part of the liver is when it becomes detectable. As mentioned,
chronic infection may cause cirrhosis i.e. liver scarring or
permanent liver failure.
Who is at
risk of getting infected?
Hepatitis C is an
infectious disease and the virus is transmitted through blood and
body fluids. The contact risk involves-
Blood
transfusion- Blood transfusion should always be tested for Hepatitis
C infection
Organ Transplant
Use of infected
syringe
Infected tattoo
needles
Infection through
sexual intercourse
Treatment
for Hep C-
The recent
studies and advancement in understanding of the nature of the
Hepatitis C virus has led to the development of DAAs or direct acting
anti-virals. These doses and components act against the protein
structure and the RNA of the Hepatitis C virus, thus preventing it
from replicating and further damaging the liver. The DAAs are usually
prescribed as combinations and different virus sequences have
different treatment combinations. For example in India Sofosbuvir
with the brand name Sovaldi, and Horani are used to treat chronic
Hepatitis C infection.
Treatments
and cures available in India-
The battle
against the preventing and curing Hepatitis C is a difficult one as
it is very hard to detect and harder to treat. While it still is one
of the major causes of liver damage, Hepatitis C cures and treatments
are now more effective and available in India too. Our Hepatitis C treatment facility helps you
understand the disease and deal with it with proper guidance and care
from our experts.
Treatment of
Hepatitis C in India is done using Gilead brand name drug sofosbuvir
– Sovaldi. Along with these second generation Hepatitis C drug
‘Harvoni’ and Daclatavir by Mylan production in India with
Medembassy medical experts
The
possible therapy combinations offered are –
- For Genotyping 1- For Genotyping one the treatment and cure offered is Gilead second generation i.e. Sofosbuvir and Ledipasvir. The treatment duration is 12 weeks.
- For Genotyping 2 – For Genotyping II the treatment offered is Sofosbuvir (Gilead) and Daclatasvir (Mylan) in India. The treatment duration is 12 weeks.
- For Genotyping 3 – For Genotyping III the treatment offered is Sofosbuvir (Gilead) and Daclatasvir (Mylan) in India. The treatment duration is 24 weeks.
- For Genotyping 4 – For Genotyping IV the treatment offered in India is Gilead second generation i.e. Sofosbuvir and Ledipasvir. The treatment duration is 12 weeks.
- For Genotyping 6 – For Genotyping 6 the treatment involves a combination of Sofosbuvir and Ledipasvir. The treatment duration is 12 weeks.
