Treatment for Hep C

Hepatitis C is a serious and potentially fatal liver disease that kills an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Americans each year. There is no known cure for Hepatitis C, which can be contracted through sexual activity, drug abuse and tainted blood transfusions before 1992. However, there are several methods of treatment for Hepatitis C that can possibly prevent serious liver damage.

Effects of Hep C

• Hep C can cause wasting away of the body's muscles, possibly life-threatening kidney disease, arthritis, and even cancers such as lymphoma, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). Without treatment, one could live 10 to 20 years before developing potentially fatal liver failure.

Antiviral Treatments

• Alpha interferon is a protein with antiviral properties that can fight hep C, according to the NDDIC. The drug is administered by injection for 24 to 48 weeks depending on the severity of the infection. Ribavirin is another antiviral used to treat hep C. It's taken orally.

Combination Therapy

• Combination therapy is a common way to treat Hep C but whether single or combination therapy is used depends on the patient's medical history and severity of the disease, according to the NDDIC. It usually incorporates ribavirin and chemically modified alpha interferon. This method has all but eliminated the virus in 70 percent of patients.

Side Effects

• Hepatitis C treatment can cause a number of unpleasant side effects, including serious mental health changes and reduced red blood cells from bone marrow suppression, according to the NDDIC. Other possible symptoms include fatigue, nausea and hair loss.

Treatment Exceptions

• The NDDIC says that patients with an organ transplant or cirrhosis of the liver can have serious and life-threatening consequences from side effects such as reduced red blood cell count if they undergo any of the currently accepted treatments for hepatitis C.