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Treatment for Hepatitis Not all hepatitis patients need to be treated. In hepatitis A and about 90% of cases of hepatitis B, the body will fight off the disease on its own. However, up to 85% of cases of hepatitis C become chronic. If left untreated, chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even liver failure. In fact, hepatitis C is now the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States. Fortunately, there are treatments that can help. Treatment serves to keep the virus under control and may enable patients to enjoy a longer and healthier life. Patients who receive treatment early in the course of chronic hepatitis infections have a better chance of avoiding serious liver damage. The sooner you begin treatment after diagnosis - before the amount of virus in your blood gets too high - the better your chances are of having the treatment work.
Treatment for Hepatitis A Most hepatitis A infections are "acute." This means that the infection lasts for less than 6 months and your body is strong enough to rid your system of the virus without the help of medical treatment. Sometimes doctors prescribe medicine to treat the symptoms you may have, such as headache and nausea, and provide intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration. Most patients recover at home. A common recommendation is to avoid alcohol, which, as a toxic substance, can weaken an already damaged liver. A vaccine is available for the prevention of hepatitis A. It is recommended for people who come into contact with an infected person and for those traveling to a location with a high incidence of hepatitis A or unsanitary conditions that make its presence possible or likely. Fortunately, most adults can fight off a hepatitis B infection without treatment. However, in about 10% of cases, the disease develops into its chronic form. In the chronic form, hepatitis B can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, or liver failure. Interferon is a protein made naturally by your body to boost your immune system and to regulate other cell functions. A manufactured form of interferon is used to treat hepatitis B. This treatment involves taking interferon by injection for about 4 months. Not all patients respond to interferon, and sometimes re-treatment is necessary. In clinical studies, 45% of patients who are treated for hepatitis B with Even if interferon treatment does not eliminate all of the hepatitis virus, in many patients it reduces the amount of hepatitis virus in the system and leads to improvement in liver function and overall health. In addition to interferon, lamivudine was also recently approved for the treatment of hepatitis B. Lamivudine is an oral anti-viral agent that has shown benefit in clearing the virus. Ask your doctor about lamivudine for further information. There is a vaccine available that protects against hepatitis B. Talk to your health care professional to find out if you are a candidate for hepatitis B vaccination. See also: Hepatitis C is the most serious form of hepatitis. It develops into a chronic form in about 85% of infected patients. If left untreated, patients are placed at high risk of developing cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. Liver failure due to hepatitis C is now the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States. If you have been infected with hepatitis C for 6 months or more, your doctor may initiate medical treatment to avoid the possibility of permanent liver damage. The current approach to treating chronic hepatitis C is combination therapy with a pegylated alpha interferon and ribavirin. One example is combination therapy with REBETRON Combination Therapy is a treatment option for chronic hepatitis C patients with compensated liver disease previously untreated with alpha interferon or who have relapsed following alpha interferon therapy. Both See also: |
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