Hepatitis C is vital and an infectious disease caused by a virus, “hepatitis C virus” that mainly targets the Liver and leads to inflammation and liver damage. In the United States, around 4 million people diagnosed with this disease. The virus is transmitted through an infected person’s blood as the hepatitis C virus is a blood-borne virus.
Liver’s job:
The liver is the largest organ in the human body and a necessary organ of the digestive system. The main job of the liver is Detoxification and synthesize proteins and Bile, a biochemical substance needed to break down fats. A healthy liver is very important to the overall health as it supports many other vital organs of the body system. Hepatitis C Virus acts as a barrier to the liver’s ability in the production of bile.
Hepatitis C can also damage the Central Nervous System as the virus interrupts the property of Detoxification.
Stages of Hepatitis C:
- Acute Hepatitis C- often termed as short-term illness and can last long for 6 months. When the hep C virus enters, the body itself clears the virus.
- Chronic Hepatitis C- it is a long-term infection, and almost 80 percent develop this chronic HCV(Hepatitis C Virus). It can be life long and lead to many serious health problems like liver failure, liver cancer.
Symptoms or signs of Hepatitis C:
As per the studies, the incubation period of Hepatitis C is 15 to 80 days, and the average is 45. The symptoms one can notice are:
- Jaundice
- Dark Urine
- Vomiting
- Abdominal Pain
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Swelling of the ankles and feet
- Pale stools
- Loss of bodyweight
- Itching
Preventions:
- Wash hands properly
- Always be careful with tattoos and piercing as the equipment used may contain the blood of the infected persons
- Avoid sharing personal care items like brush, razors, scissors, etc
- Never share needles, syringes with the infected ones
- Avoid coming into direct contact with blood.
Liver-friendly Diet:
- Eat a plant-based diet as much as possible
- Eat foods high in fiber
- Eat lots of green leafy vegetables
- Eat a lot of garlic.
Many fresh, healthy, nutritious drinks are there that helps in flushing:
- Watermelon juice
- Lemon juice
- Cranberry juice
- Beet juice