Hepatitis C is an infection that is caused by the hepatitis virus. According to MayoClinic.com, hepatitis C is considered to be among the most serious of the hepatitis viruses and can cause severe liver damage. If you have hepatitis, there are some steps you can take to limit or even stop some of the damage, and exercise is one of the best options.
Hepatitis C Symptoms and Effects
Often people do not even know that they are infected with the hepatitis C virus until years later. According to MayoClinic.com, the infection usually does not produce any signs or symptoms during the early stages. MayoClinic.com notes that later symptoms are usually flu-like and can include fatigue, fever, nausea, muscle pains and pain around the liver. People often have no symptoms until they are diagnosed with liver damage, according to MayoClinic.com.
Hepatitis C Causes
Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus that is only spread when you contact infected blood. This can happen through childbirth, shared needles or sexual contact, and MayoClinic.com notes that before 1992, some infections happened through blood and organ transplants. Blood testing measures were put in place in 1992 to help screen for the virus in blood and organ transfusions. According to MayoClinic.com, infections through childbirth and sexual contact are rare.
Exercise Effect on Hepatitis C
An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that exercise reduced the severity of liver disease in overweight hepatitis patients. In this 2002 study, 19 overweight people were put on a 12-week diet and exercise program and, according to the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, several markers of liver health improved. These included a decrease in liver enzymes and reduced fat and scar tissue in the liver, which according to the Bastyr Center indicated a decrease in the severity of the liver disease. The Bastyr Center also notes that people in the study who continued the program for one year sustained the improvements in their liver health.
Hepatitis C Exercise and Treatment
Severe liver damage could lead to liver transplants, anti-viral medications or vaccinations, but often, according to MayoClinic.com, a hepatitis diagnosis does not mean you need treatment. Exercise is recognized most days of the week, meaning you should get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most if not all days. A half-hour five times per week, with a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, should be plenty. MayoClinic.com also recommends getting plenty of sleep, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and staying away from alcohol, which can speed liver damage.
Future
It is not known if exercise programs can have the same benefits in people of normal weight as they did in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study. But since the benefits were sustained even as the people in the study lost weight, the potential is encouraging. The Bastyr Center recommends consulting with your doctor to develop an exercise program that will work for you. In the future, with more research and knowledge, the same exercise plans may be recommended for all people infected with the hepatitis virus.
