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New Hepatitis C Cures

Hepatitis C is a condition caused by a virus that affects the liver. In most cases, people with hepatitis C are asymptomatic and do not realize they have liver damage until many years after infection. In some cases, people with the disease do not require any treatment. However, if the liver damage is extensive, there are a few options that your doctor may suggest to help you live a normal, healthy life.

  1. Antiviral Medication

    • Your doctor may prescribe anti-viral medication with the intention of getting the hepatitis C virus out of your body. Usually, you will need to take these drugs over the course of several weeks. Your doctor will then test your blood for signs of hepatitis C. If your tests come back positive, your doctor may then put you on a second round of medication. These anti-virals can cause side effects, such as flu-like symptoms and depression. Other potential issues include fever, exhaustion and headache. In some cases, these side effects will force you to abandon this route of treatment.

    Liver Transplant

    • In cases where damage to the liver is extensive, you may need to undergo a liver transplant. This operation involves the removal of your damaged liver and then replacing it with a healthy liver. These healthy livers are harvested from deceased donors. Unfortunately, if you suffer from hepatitis C, a transplant is not a cure as the virus will then affect your new liver. Since the disease is likely to recur, your doctor will try to treat you with anti-virals once you are well enough after the operation.

    Alternative Remedies

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, no alternative or complementary drugs have proven effective when treating hepatitis C. However, milk thistle has recently been receiving a lot of attention for its supposed liver-health promoting properties. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no evidence to support the efficacy of milk thistle, though its proponents believe it can help with jaundice and other liver-related issues. All clinical evidence has shown mixed results and, according to the Mayo Clinic, all studies have been poorly designed.

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