Crucial Determinants and Facts of Hep C

There are various factors that are determinants before and after treatment. 

Patients are usually confused with the voluminous information present over the internet and it definitely confuses the individual in search for information regarding the virus. 

We have brought forward certain well established facts that are crucial for all hep c patients to understand before and after treatment. 

Given below are some of the things that you got to know,

Studies report that once patients have achieved SVR, they have a 99.2 to 100 percent chance of remaining free of Hepatitis C. In other words, less than 1 percent of people who achieve SVR experience a return of Hepatitis C infection.

If Hepatitis C does return after achieving SVR, there is a good chance it is due to re-exposure, and being infected again with the virus.

Some studies suggest that there are two groups at higher risk of Hepatitis C returning after SVR: injection drug users or prisoners, and those co-infected with HIV.
Different from several other diseases, having Hepatitis C once does not provide immunity from getting it again.

Even with SVR, there will still be Hepatitis C antibodies. This does not mean you are still infected. If there is no detectable Hepatitis C virus in the blood, there is nothing to transmit to others. Antibodies are your immune system’s response to a pathogen and are not infectious.

After achieving SVR, routine Hepatitis C screening is typically advised to make sure you remain free of the virus and to catch any reemergence right away should it occur. A quantitative Hepatitis C RNA test that detects viral load is appropriate, not a Hepatitis C antibody test.

After achieving SVR, doctors are hesitant to give patients permission to drink alcohol. This is due to many complicating factors. For example, drinking alcohol is extremely dangerous for those with liver cirrhosis – even if Hepatitis C has been eradicated.

After achieving SVR, liver health almost always improves. This includes improved liver histology, reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, and improved overall survival.

With adherence to lifestyle choices that promote liver health, both cirrhosis and fibrosis have shown the capability of reversing after achieving SVR.