Hepatitis C is an infectious disease, the causative agent of which is a virus that parasitizes in the natural environment only in the human body. Before considering the methods of treating hepatitis C, we will get acquainted with how it is transmitted and what its symptoms are.
Ways of infection with hepatitis C
The highest probability of infection with hepatitis C is through the blood of a sick person or carrier of the virus. Most often this happens in such cases:
- with blood transfusion or hemodialysis procedure;
- using common toothbrushes, manicure and hairdresser supplies, razors, syringes;
- through birthmarks during childbirth;
- when carrying out piercing, acupuncture, tattooing, etc.
Symptoms of hepatitis C
The disease can occur in acute or chronic form.
About 70% of patients with acute hepatitis C do not have any clinical manifestations of the disease, and its detection occurs only after a blood test. However, some patients note a number of symptoms that appear after the end of the incubation period (2 to 26 weeks after infection). These include:
- increased fatigue, weakness;
- lack of appetite, digestive disorders;
- fever;
- abdominal pain, muscle pain;
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin, sclera of the eyes, mucous membranes).
Symptoms of a chronic form of hepatitis C may not appear for a very long time - up to several years. By this time, as a rule, there is already a significant liver damage.
Treatment regimen for hepatitis C
The standard treatment regimen for this disease is based on combined medical therapy with the use of antiviral drugs - alpha-interferon and ribavirin. After treatment of hepatitis C, which can last 24 to 48 weeks, in some cases you can completely get rid of the virus, in others - to achieve a long-term remission of the disease. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the type of virus, the age of the patient, his lifestyle and the presence of concomitant diseases.
However, drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C have serious side effects, so they may not be prescribed to all patients. Side effects of antiviral therapy include: flu-like syndrome, fatigue, changes in blood test, hair loss, thyroid gland disorders, etc.
New methods of treatment of hepatitis C include the use of drugs that have a direct antiviral effect and are able to block the key stages of virus multiplication (protease inhibitors). Such drugs have already been applied with quite high efficiency, but studies in this area are not yet over.
Traditional methods of treatment of hepatitis C
With such serious diseases as hepatitis C, the use for the treatment of any folk remedies and other non-traditional methods should necessarily be discussed with the attending physician. In general, a special diet and medicinal herbs are used to treat hepatitis C, which can stimulate the restoration of liver cells. Here are a few recipes that folk medicine recommends.
Recipe # 1
- Mix in equal proportions the herb of St. John's wort , the herb of chicory and the flowers of marigold.
- Two tablespoons of the collection pour two glasses of cold water, leave to infuse for the night.
- In the morning, infuse the boil for 5 minutes, cool and strain.
- Drink the whole portion of broth for a day in small portions; course of treatment - 2 months.
Recipe No. 2
- Pour 1 tablespoon birch buds half a liter of boiling water.
- Add baking soda to the tip of the knife, leave to infuse for one hour in a warm place.
- Infusion strain, take half a cup of 3 - 4 times a day for a month.
Recipe # 3
- Pour 3 tablespoons of rhizomes of young shoots of asparagus with a medicinal glass of boiling water.
- After 40 - 50 minutes drain the infusion.
- Take 2 - 3 tablespoons before meals three times a day; course of treatment - a month.