Table of contents:
- How to treat acute hepatitis
- How to treat chronic hepatitis
- Which must be considered before undergoing hepatitis treatment
Hepatitis is a serious inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis virus. There are many types of hepatitis viruses - A, B, C, D, and E. Therefore, the symptoms and treatment will differ depending on the type of hepatitis virus. In addition, the way to treat acute and chronic hepatitis differs depending on many factors. Hepatitis diagnosis can change your life. The choice of hepatitis medication used to treat your condition can have serious side effects, and may not be effective for everyone.
Whether or not your body will receive the effects of hepatitis drugs will depend on:
- The severity of liver damage
- Any other health conditions you have
- The amount of hepatitis virus present in your body
- The type of hepatitis you have
The following is information about the options for treating hepatitis based on the type of hepatitis you have.
How to treat acute hepatitis
Most people who have hepatitis are not aware of their condition, so they don't seek treatment. Even if you have been exposed to the virus, you must quickly get it as early as possible to prevent acute hepatitis. Most people who know they have acute hepatitis infection get treatment with drugs. Acute hepatitis medications usually focus on reducing signs and symptoms, including:
- Rest. Hepatitis patients feel tired and sick and lack energy, so they often need time to rest.
- Overcoming nausea and vomiting. Nausea can make it difficult to eat. Try to divide food into smaller portions and finish them throughout the day as opposed to having large meals at one time. Eat more high-calorie foods to get enough calories. For example, drink fruit juice or milk instead of just plain water. In addition, it is recommended to receive intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration from vomiting. Patients with severe nausea and / or vomiting may need to be hospitalized for treatment and intravenous fluids.
- Resting heart. Your liver may have difficulty absorbing drugs and alcohol. Consult your doctor before using any drugs, including over-the-counter drugs. Do not drink alcohol while infected with hepatitis, because alcohol damages the liver.
- Be careful in using drugs or components that have a negative effect in patients with liver disorders (eg paracetamol, alcohol). An affected liver may not be able to clear the medicine normally, and the drugs can stay in the blood for a long time and reach toxic levels. In addition, sedatives and "tranquillizers" should be avoided as they can exacerbate the effects of liver failure on the brain and cause lethargy and coma.
- Stop drinking alcohol and smoking. Alcohol exacerbates the liver damage in chronic hepatitis, and causes it to progress to cirrhosis more rapidly. Smoking can also make liver disease worse and must be stopped.
- Avoid having sex without a condom. Since various types of sexual activity can pass the infection to your partner, avoid all sexual activity if you have hepatitis. All forms of protection such as condoms do not provide adequate protection.
How to treat chronic hepatitis
There are many options for chronic hepatitis medication if you have long-term hepatitis. Usually this consists of a combination of drugs (such as antiviral drugs, vaccines) as well as medical procedures, such as a liver transplant.
Medicines for chronic hepatitis C infection include:
- Alpha interferon injection (Pegasys)
- Oral ribavirin (Rebetol, Copegus)
- Oral boceprevir (Victrelis)
- Simeprevir (Olysio)
- Oral sofosbuvir (Sovaldi)
- Oral simeprevir (Olysio)
- Oral daclatasvir (Daklinza)
- Oral ledipasvir / sofosbuvir (Harvoni)
- Oral ombitasvir / paritaprevir / ritonavir (Technivie)
- Oral ombitasvir / paritaprevir / ritonavir / dasabuvir (Viekira Pak)
Standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C used to be a combination of antiviral therapy consisting of pegylated interferon and ribavirin, sometimes referred to as PEG / usury therapy. Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A) by injection is most common for young people to fight infections who do not want to undergo long-term treatment or who may want to become pregnant within a few years. This medication is used together with a twice-daily dose of oral ribavirin (Rebetol, Copegus).
Liver transplant: If there is serious damage to liver function, you may choose a liver transplant as a treatment option. In a liver transplant, the doctor will remove the damaged part of the liver and replace it with a healthy liver. Most of the liver transplants come from deceased donors, and a smaller number come from living donors who donate part of their livers. For people with hepatitis C infection, liver grafts are not a cure. Treatment with antiviral drugs usually continues after a liver transplant, because hepatitis C is likely to recur in the new liver.
Vaccinations: There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C, so your doctor will likely recommend that you receive the hepatitis A and hepatitis B virus vaccines. Several different viruses can also damage liver function, making hepatitis C treatment more complicated.
Which must be considered before undergoing hepatitis treatment
Regardless of whether you are taking drugs to treat hepatitis, you will need to have regular blood tests that will allow your doctor to know for sure to what extent your liver is still functioning.
Treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis differs from one another. Rest, relieve symptoms and maintain adequate fluid intake are recommended for the treatment of acute viral hepatitis. Treatment of chronic viral hepatitis includes drugs to clear the virus and prevent further liver damage.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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