Hepatitis C is an infectious disease that affects a person’s liver. Most often it occurs in people from the age of twenty to forty years.
On the symptoms of hepatitis C in men and its treatment - further in the article.
Hepatitis C in men: causes
The great difficulty of hepatitis C is that today it has not yet been invented a vaccine, therefore, the main method of protection against this disease is prevention.
This infection is transmitted through the bloodstream and along with the biological fluids of an infected person.
The following hepatitis C infections in men are distinguished:
1. Transfusion of donated blood is one of the most common ways of infection with hepatitis C. This was especially common several years ago, when laboratory diagnosis of blood was not yet at a high level. Now, infection through a blood transfusion is possible, but to a lesser extent.
2. Infection with hepatitis C during tattooing or piercing. Today, this particular transmission route of the virus is the most common. This is justified by the fact that the master performs poor-quality sterilization of sharp instruments that are used to penetrate the skin.
3. Infection in the dentist’s office is also justified by the use of not sufficiently sterile instruments. According to the same principle, a man can catch this disease in a nail salon, as well as during some cosmetic measures involving the introduction of injections.
4. Frequent changes in sexual partners and erratic sexual relations are a very common cause of hepatitis C infection. Moreover, the disease usually proceeds monotonously, without pronounced symptoms and smoothly turns into a chronic form. For this reason, a man may not even know that he is sick and infect other women.
5. The use of drugs by injecting them into a vein. In this case, infection occurs when using non-sterile (common) syringes. In this case, the risk of transmission of the virus is highest.
6. The use of scissors, needles and other sharp (stitching) accessories that belong to a sick person.
Thus, these groups of men are most at risk of contracting hepatitis C:
1. Men who have unprotected sex with various unverified partners.
2. Homosexuals.
3. People infected with HIV.
4. Drug-dependent men.
5. Men who require a blood transfusion.
6. Medical professionals.
You should be aware that through kissing, shaking hands, hugs or talking, infection cannot occur. For this reason, if a family member or friend became infected with this disease, it does not pose a danger to those around him. It should not be avoided or feared. Also, he does not need special conditions for work or study.
An infected person presents danger only when he has an open wound.
Hepatitis C in men: symptoms and signs
The insidiousness of hepatitis C lies in the fact that it can occur for a long time without vivid symptoms, so most patients do not detect the pathology on time and it goes into a chronic form.
As a rule, from the day of infection to the onset of the first symptom, one to three months pass. At the same time, the first signs of infection will be weakness, fatigue and joint pain. Rarely observed increase in temperature.
With the further development of the disease, a person may experience the following symptoms:
1. Frequent nausea and vomiting.
2. Loss of appetite.
3. Drowsiness.
4. Gradual weight loss.
5. Frequent diarrhea and general digestion.
6. Decrease in working capacity.
7. A feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
8. The occurrence of a rash.
All of the above symptoms are characteristic signs of the acute form of hepatitis C. They can last a couple of months. In the absence of timely diagnosis and the start of treatment, the virus can become chronic.
There are also cases when the patient himself recovers, but at the same time, becomes a carrier of the virus (that is, he has hepatitis C, but it does not affect the human condition).
In the event that hepatitis C has turned into an icteric form, a person may experience the following symptoms:
1. Darkening of urine.
2. Highlighting feces.
3. Drowsiness.
4. Yellowing of the skin.
5. Pain in the right side.
6. Deterioration of the liver and kidneys.
With further liver damage, the patient may develop such signs:
1. An increase in the volume of the abdomen.
2. Coma.
3. The appearance of spider veins on the abdomen.
4. Enlarged liver.
5. Great weakness.
Hepatitis C in men: treatment and diagnosis
Timely diagnosis and treatment started at times increases the chance of a person's full recovery. To identify this virus in the body, the patient needs to undergo the following studies:
1. Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity to identify the degree of liver damage.
2. General clinical blood tests.
3. A blood test to detect hepatitis C antibodies in the human body.
4. Advanced biochemical blood test.
Treatment of hepatitis C in men is selected individually for each patient, depending on the form and neglect of the disease, as well as the presence of symptoms.
A hepatologist or gastroenterologist is involved in the treatment of hepatitis C.
Traditional therapy for hepatitis C in men involves the following:
1. A complete refusal to take alcoholic beverages, even in small quantities. It is also advisable to completely stop smoking.
2. Drug therapy involves the appointment of drugs to a person to reduce the activity of the virus and the load on the liver. Usually, interferon-alpha drugs are used for this.
3. Compliance with diet.
At the same time, it is strictly forbidden for a sick person to consume the following products:
• fatty meat and fish;
• fat;
• smoked meats;
• conservation;
• pickles and salted fish;
• sausages;
• semi-finished products;
• fast food;
• sweet confectionery;
• fatty dairy products.
With this diet, a sick person is shown taking vegetables, fruits, boiled meat and low-fat fish. You can also eat cereals, soups and low-fat dairy products. It is important to know that dietary compliance is mandatory in the treatment of hepatitis C. It is aimed at reducing the load on the liver and normalizing digestion.
During treatment, you need constant monitoring of the patient's condition, as well as monitoring the amount of virus in the blood.
Despite the more pronounced course of acute hepatitis C, it is the chronic form of this disease that is considered the most dangerous for humans. According to statistics, in 20% of all cases, people recover from acute hepatitis C. In all other cases, the disease becomes chronic.
In this state, a large load is placed on the liver. Hepatocytes are gradually destroyed, which leads to the death of liver cells or their deformation. In this case, a person will need constant medical care and treatment with drugs.
Hepatitis C in men: treatment, complications, prevention
The most dangerous complication of hepatitis C in men is the development of cirrhosis. It occurs when the amount of virus in the body is critical, and the treatment was not carried out in a timely manner.
Also, alcohol can lead to cirrhosis. In this condition, cirrhosis is able to go into cancer pathology. This is a life-threatening disease.
Additional possible complications from hepatitis C can be impaired renal and hepatic function, as well as toxic damage to the body due to the inability of the liver to neutralize certain substances.
To reduce the risk of accidental hepatitis C infection, men should definitely adhere to the following prevention rules:
1. Never use other people's items to care for yourself and your body (razors, toothbrushes, dental flosses, toothpicks, scissors, tweezers, nail files, etc.).
2. Do not use drugs or inject them intravenously.
3. If you are a paramedic, when injecting or during surgical procedures, you should be extremely careful and always wear gloves.
4. It is worth having one permanent sexual partner. In case of accidental intimate communication, it is always important to use a barrier method of contraception - a condom.
5. When performing a tattoo or at the dentist’s appointment, you must insist that sterile disposable instruments are used for you.
