Hepatitis

Symptoms of Hepatitis

Nausea is a very common symptom that is often described as a feeling of queasiness or wooziness, or a need to vomit. Nausea accompanies a wide variety of mild to serious infections, diseases, conditions, and injuries, and it occurs in all age groups and populations.

Symptoms of nausea can be short-term and disappear quickly, as in the case of indigestion. But symptoms can also be long-lasting or recur over a period of days, weeks, and months, such as nausea induced by migraine, cancer, pancreatitis, certain medications, or body trauma.

Nausea occurs with other symptoms affecting the digestive system as well as other body systems.

Treatment for Hepatitis

Remember: No vaccine or medication can prevent the spread of HCV and hepatitis C. It’s up to you to keep others safe.

It’s likely that hepatitis C virus (HCV) was found when routine liver tests were done on your blood or after you donated blood. Once hepatitis C is discovered, a medical evaluation helps assess if you have liver disease. You may also have a small sample (biopsy) taken from the liver to see if medications may help.

To help keep your body strong and possibly relieve symptoms:

• Avoid stressing the liver. Do not use alcohol and any unnecessary medications—even over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen. These can stress the liver.

• Eat a balanced diet. A diet low in fat, high in fiber, and full of fresh fruits and vegetables helps you maintain your health.

• Take prescribed medications. To help your liver work better, you may be given injections of a medication called alpha interferon 3 times a week for 6–12 months. In most cases, you will also be given ribavirin (an antiviral medication) to take orally 2 times a day. Your doctor can talk to you about the possible side effects of therapy with these medications.

Living with Hepatitis

The preteen years are a time when young people experiment with new things and begin to exert their independence. For these reasons, it is very important for your child to be vaccinated against hepatitis B. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is spread through having sex with an infected person without using a condom and by sharing contaminated needles. It also is spread through accidental needle sticks, affecting health care workers, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth.

Hepatitis B is a highly contagious, sexually transmitted disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver, possibly causing lifelong liver infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, and death. In the United States, HBV is responsible for an estimated 2,000 to 5,000 deaths each year. People of any age can become infected with HBV. A person who is not immune to HBV can become infected by coming in contact with a small amount of blood or body fluids from an infected person.