What is Hepatitis C?
These days it is hard to imagine a healthy person becoming infected with a deadly virus. As most people are reasonably health conscious and the USA is one of the cleanest countries in the world. Becoming sick “by chance” for most of us is practically unfathomable.
Hepatitis C is a virus that often silently attacks your liver. Most people infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) have no symptoms at all. In fact, most people don’t know they have the disease until liver damage shows up, decades later, during routine medical tests. Hepatitis C is one of six identified hepatitis viruses — the others are A, B, D, E and G. All of these cause the liver to become inflamed, which interferes with its ability to function. Hepatitis C is generally considered to be among the most serious of these viruses.
Over time, if you have a Hepatitis C infection, it can lead to liver cancer, liver failure or cirrhosis — irreversible and potentially fatal scarring of the liver. Unlike HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, the Hepatitis C virus usually isn’t transmitted through sexual contact. Instead, you’re more at risk if you’re exposed to contaminated blood — through needles shared during drug use or through blood transfusions. Before 1992, the Hepatitis C stain was not named as such, and was known as Non A, Non B.
Although vaccines exist for hepatitis A and B, no vaccine for Hepatitis C has been developed. There are treatments that will slow or stop the growth of the virus and prevent long-term complications, such as cirrhosis and cancer, from developing. Today, an estimated 5 million Americans are infected with Hepatitis C - and most of them don’t know it. That is 1 out of every 50 people…..and some will be people you know. One out of every 10 Veterans is infected, 62% of Vietnam Vets have it. Three people with Hepatitis C die every day, two of them are Veterans.
Hepatitis C is considered an epidemic and is now killing more people than Aids/HIV…30,000 a year and it’s going to get much worse. The number of adults seeking liver transplants for hepatitis C infection will skyrocket in the next 20 years. An estimated 10,000 to 30,000 Americans die from this disease each year. Deaths are estimated to increase because of the increasing risk of infection and the resulting cirrhosis, portal hypertension, thrombocytopenia, bleeding from avarices, and liver cancer.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), by the year 2008, the cases of decomposition will increase 279%, liver-related deaths 223% and the need for liver transplantation 528%. Considering that we don’t have enough organs now and people die on transplant lists, far too many of those precious lives will be lost.
Hepatitis C is called the dragon, because it sleeps for many years and one day, suddenly, it wakes up and ends your life (people who got infected 20-30 years ago may just now find out). The Hepatitis C virus is very old and very smart…..it doesn’t kill quickly like the old HIV virus or like the Ebola virus. Hepatitis C has chosen to infect the liver. The ONLY organ capable of regeneration. It simmers for many years, keeping its host alive. It is so smart it uses our own immune system against us.Nobody knows exactly where it came from. During World War II, an unlicensed yellow fever vaccine was released to immunize our troops who were going to the South Pacific. To stabilize the vaccine, scientists used serum from Australian Aborigines, hoping they were immune to endemic illnesses and that immunity would then be passed to our troops. Years later, it was discovered that 50% of the Aborigines had Hepatitis B and C. A study done by the Veteran’s Administration later PROVED that over 320,000 of our troops were infected. Thousands of them fell ill with hepatitis and hospitalized or quarantined in their barracks. When they came back home, they were encouraged to donate blood. A monster, with the power to mutate, had just been unleashed.
Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood only. That means blood transfusions with contaminated blood before 1992 (because blood was not screened), tattoos, body piercing, needle sticks, IV drugs with contaminated needles, manicures that made you bleed (instruments are not sterilized), sharing razors, toothbrushes, anything that could pass infected blood to your blood. Even doing IV drugs once could have given you the virus or sharing straws with someone that had nasal sores or bleeding.A mutating virus for which there is no vaccine. It has many strains and sub strains. By the time they figure something about it, it’s already mutated into something stronger. 70-75% of people have genotype 1, the strain most difficult to treat. 95% of Veterans who have Hepatitis C have genotype 1. The success rate with traditional modern medicine treatment is only about 50% and treatment is a whole year and side effects from the medications are cruel. For Veterans, success rate is only 19%….and sadly, even that treatment is approved for only 11.8% of them.
The Hepatitis C virus causes diabetes (40% of genotype 1 have diabetes), it affects the brain causing depression, it causes lung problems, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, Sjogren’s, cardiac problems, skin problems, arthritis, stomach problems, anemia, fatigue, and of course, cirrhosis. After cirrhosis comes DECOMPENSATION. The liver stops working, the skin and sclera become yellow, your belly looks like you’re pregnant, you’re unable to process protein, you get anemic, confused, the kidneys stop working and many bleed to death.
However, not everything is doom and gloom. The silver lining is being aware of the possibility that anything can happen to anybody at any time. Get tested! There is an inexpensive way to do it while you could be doing some good for someone in need. Volunteer to donate blood at any Red Cross event and your blood will be screened for any contagious, communicable disease. Don’t take the chance, find out!
