Easy as ABC? Not When You’re Talking About Hepatitis Treatment and Medications
Easy as ABC? Not When You’re Talking About Hepatitis Treatment and Medications
Pittsburgh PA, (PRWEB) November 25, 2005
Hepatitis C patients got good news recently when results of a major study of hepatitis C medications were announced.
Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. The hepatitis C virus is also known as the HCV virus. Hepatitis C transmission usually occurs through blood transfusions, hemodialysis, and needle sticks. HCV is responsible for most transfusion-associated hepatitis C. Cirrhosis and cancer can result from damage done to the liver by the hepatitis C virus.
Treating U.S. hepatitis C patients can be especially challenging because the hepatitis C virus usually responds poorly to treatment. In addition, other factors like age, obesity have been shown to be associated with poor response.
Among the findings of the study, announced November 14th in San Francisco: that weight-based ribavirin, used in combination therapy with peginterferon alfa-2b achieved a better virologic response than when ribivarin was used alone. Lower rates of relapse were also recorded, compared to the combination therapy using a flat dose of ribavirin.
“But the best option,” according to George McKenzie, creator of Hepatitis Help at http://www.hepatitisc.name, a resource website for hepatitis sufferers, “is to avoid contracting the hepatitis c virus in the first place.”
To that end, Hepatitis Help offers the following hepatitis c prevention tips, which can also be found at http://www.hepatitisc.name/hepatitiscprevention.htm
Hepatitis C Prevention Tip 1: Do not use intravenous drugs. If you shoot drugs, stop and seek the help of a treatment program. If you can’t stop, never share needles, syringes, water. Get vaccinated against hepatitis A & B.
Hepatitis C Prevention Tip 2: Do not share personal care items that might have blood on them, like razors and toothbrushes.
Hepatitis C Prevention Tip 3: If you are a health care or public safety worker, always follow routine barrier precautions. Be sure to handle needles and other sharp objects carefully and safely. Get vaccinated against hepatitis B.
Hepatitis C Prevention Tip 4: If you are thinking about getting a tattoo or having a body part pierced, be extremely careful. You might get infected if the tools have someone else’s blood.
Hepatitis C Prevention Tip 5: Hepatitis C can be spread by sexual contact, but this is rare. If you are having sex with more than one steady sex partner, it’s recommended that you use latex condoms correctly, and use them every time you have intercourse. You should also get vaccinated against hepatitis B.
Fore more information, visit Hepatitis Help at http://www.hepatitisc.name
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