Can I live a normal life with hep C?

Can I live a normal life with hep C?

There are now several effective medications that treat hepatitis C. If the disease is caught early and treated, people with hepatitis C can live a normal life. Approximately 3 to 5 million people in the United States are living with chronic hepatitis C, an infection that causes inflammation and scarring in the liver.

How long can you live with treated hep C?

People with hepatitis C can live many years after diagnosis, but the range varies. A 2014 study showed that patients infected with hepatitis C virus died on average 15 years sooner than people who did not have the illness. With hepatitis C, the liver becomes seriously damaged due to inflammation.

How does hep C affect your life?

When a chronic infection occurs, it can cause cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, over time. As HCV progresses, symptoms like skin problems, blood disorders, and weight loss may appear. Dangerous outcomes like severe liver damage, liver cancer, and liver failure can also occur.

What should you avoid if you have hep C?

But if you have hepatitis C, there are some foods to avoid or eat less of. Raw oysters or shellfish. They can have bacteria that give you serious infections that are more severe if you have hep C. Fatty, sugary foods.

Does hep C shorten your life?

Complications from untreated hepatitis C, including cirrhosis (liver scarring) and liver cancer, can be fatal, though HCV itself is rarely fatal.

How do you feel when you have hep C?

When signs and symptoms are present, they may include jaundice, along with fatigue, nausea, fever and muscle aches. Acute symptoms appear one to three months after exposure to the virus and last two weeks to three months.

What is the success rate of hep C treatment?

Hepatitis C treatment can cure more than 90 percent of hepatitis C cases, but testing is a critical first step. It’s estimated 40 percent of people with hepatitis C in the U.S. from 2015-2018 were unaware of their infection.

Which hepatitis is worse B or C?

Hepatitis B is certainly more virulent and contagious than hepatitis C. Hepatitis B is prevalent around the world and it causes more liver cancer than hepatitis C. People with hepatitis B are more likely to die from complications to their liver than people with any of the other hepatitis infections.

Do you feel better after hep C treatment?

Since hepatitis C doesn’t always cause any symptoms, you may not feel any different after being cured. If you were experiencing symptoms — fatigue is the common one — you should start to feel stronger and more energetic, which should continue to improve after you finish treatment, says Massoud.

Can hep C make you go crazy?

Brain fog is a term used to describe an overall feeling of mental fogginess. This includes forgetfulness, concentration problems, and confusion. It’s a state of generally disorganized thinking. Studies show that about half of those with hepatitis C experience neuropsychiatric symptoms such as brain fog.

Does hep C make you gain weight?

Substantial weight gain is common after hepatitis C cure, an analysis of a large cohort shows, and around one in five people with normal body weight became overweight within two years, US Veterans Affairs researchers report in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

How does hepatitis make you feel?

If you do, hepatitis signs and symptoms can include: Fatigue. Sudden nausea and vomiting. Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially on the upper right side beneath your lower ribs (by your liver)

What does hep C pain feel like?

Many chronic HCV sufferers also complain of getting aches and pains. Large numbers get sharp pains over the liver (found in the upper right corner of the abdomen) which can sometimes be very alarming. These pains are not necessarily connected with severe liver disease.

Which drink is good for hepatitis?

Yes, you read that correctly: Coffee may be beneficial for people with hepatitis C, Dr. Muir says. A study published in the journal Gastroenterology found that people with hepatitis C who drank three or more cups of coffee a day were two times more likely to respond to treatment than those who didn’t drink coffee.

Is coffee good for hepatitis?

There’s evidence that coffee is beneficial for people with hepatitis C, a virus that infects the liver and can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. In people who already have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, regular coffee drinking lowers the odds of developing cirrhosis.

Is hep C considered a disability?

If you have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and your symptoms are severe, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits (either SSI or SSDI) if your illness meets the criteria established by Social Security’s Listing of Impairments (Listing 5.05 Chronic Liver Disease), or if Social Security finds that because …

Can you work if you have hep C?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , there’s no reason to exclude people with hepatitis C from any type of job. This includes individuals who work with children, food, and other services. The only exception is if the job poses a risk of blood-to-blood contact.

Can hep C affect your eyes?

According to research in the Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, hepatitis C is associated with an increased risk of developing dry eye syndrome. The exact reason why it may occur in hepatitis C is not entirely clear. Symptoms of dry eyes include a gritty feeling in the eye, redness, and sensitivity to light.