Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver in which it becomes inflamed due to infection. The liver removes harmful chemicals from the blood, stores energy, helps fight infection, helps digest food and stores nutrients and vitamins. Treatments and nutrition are important for patients with hepatitis C, because you cannot live without your liver.
Symptoms
The symptoms of hepatitis C are jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin and eyes, swollen stomach and ankles, bleeding that takes longer than normal to stop, easy bruising, upset stomach, diarrhea, appetite loss, tiredness, fever, dark yellow urine and light-colored stool.
Risk Factors
There are many risk factors for acquiring hepatitis C, such as being born to a mother who is infected, using an infected persons razor or toothbrush, having sex with an infected person, being tattooed or pierced with unsterilized needles, sharing drug needles, or being accidentally stuck by the needle of an infected person.
Treatments
There are two drugs that are used to treat hepatitis C: peginterferon and ribavirin. Peginterferon is made from human proteins that help the body fight viral infections. It is often used in combination with ribavirin to treat hepatitis C in adults and children over three years old. Ribavirin alone will not treat hepatitis C unless it is used with peginterferon. Both medications work by stopping the virus that caused the disease from spreading through the body.
Medication Side Effects
Peginterferon and ribavirin may have side effects associated with them. When taking peginterferon, side effects may include fatigue, headache, muscle aches, low-grade fever, weight loss, nausea and vomiting and irritability. Ribavirin side effects may include anemia, fatigue and irritability, itching, skin rash and nasal stuffiness, sinusitis and cough.
Diet
Because the liver helps digest food and stores vitamins and nutrients, it is important for patients with hepatitis C to eat a healthy, nutritious diet. A healthy diet should be low in fat, cholesterol and sodium, and high in complex carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grain rice, breads and cereals, and legumes, such as beans, lentils and dried peas; it should also provide an adequate amount of protein. Protein from vegetables, dairy products, fish and chicken may be easier to process than protein from other types of meat, such as beef or pork. If the patient finds it difficult to tolerate dairy products, soy or rice milk can be substituted. Because some people with hepatitis C have a loss of appetite, nausea and diarrhea due to the drugs they are using, they may find it helpful to eat small, frequent meals rather than three large ones a day; if a patient is unable to eat normally, liquid nutritional supplements such as Ensure can be used to obtain the proper nutrients. Drinking enough clear liquids is important as well, and should be incorporated into a healthy diet. Water provides needed minerals and the essential fluids for good health. Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee and sodas because they lead to dehydration.
Foods to Avoid
Spicy or fatty foods may make nausea worse. Avoid eating raw or undercooked shellfish because it may contain hepatitis A and other viruses and bacteria. Processed foods, such as canned, frozen, preserved and fast food, should be avoided as they may contain chemical additives and high levels of sodium.
Lifestyle Changes
Persons with hepatitis C should make certain lifestyle changes to prevent further damage and to ensure that others do not get sick, as well. Stop drinking alcohol because it helps speed up the progression of liver disease; avoid medications that may cause liver damage by talking with your doctor about current prescriptions and over-the-counter medications; keep your body healthy by eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables, exercising most days of the week and getting enough sleep that you awaken fully rested; prevent others from coming into contact with your blood by covering up wounds and not sharing razors and toothbrushes. Do not donate blood, body organs or semen and inform health care providers that you have hepatitis C.
