Hepatitis C is an infection of the liver which leads to inflammation and is caused by the Hepatitis C virus, type 1 being the most common in the US. Some of the symptoms of Hepatitis C are jaundice, stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue. The virus spreads through the blood of body fluids of an infected person. So, hepatitis can be transmitted due to tattooing, body piercing, sharing needles, unprotected sex, and blood transfusion. Hepatitis C can be diagnosed through an antibody to HCV test. Hepatitis can develop into a chronic infection and can lead to conditions like liver cancer, liver cirrhosis or scarring of the liver.

It is recommended for Hepatitis C patients to get lots of rest and have plenty of liquids with a healthy diet and abstain from alcohol.

Antiviral medications:

Peginterferon is an antiviral drug to fight off the infection. A combination of Interferon therapy with ribavirin to enhance the chances of eliminating the virus from the body. Interferon is a type of protein usually produced by the interference of viral infectious agents inside the body.

Other treatment options:

Experts recommend a combination of treatments for patients with chronic Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C can be treated through a daily combination pill of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir called Mavyret. The length of the treatment depends on the disease stage of the patient. There is also a once-a-day pill combination of elbasvir and grazoprevir called Zepatier. There’s another once-daily treatment called Harvoni which combines sofosbuvir and ledipasvir.

Visevi is a drug used for treating chronic Hepatitis in adults. It is a combination of sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir.