Treatment methods for hepatitis C. How to recover from hepatitis Where is hepatitis treated in an inpatient or outpatient setting?

Hepatitis C is also quite common among drug addicts who practice repeated use of disposable syringes. In addition, infection is also possible during unprotected intimate contact. Is hepatitis C curable or not? Below we look at the symptoms and treatment of hepatitis C.

Is it possible to get rid of hepatitis C?

Until 2014, according to many experts, there was no effective treatment for hepatitis C. It was only possible to improve the patient’s well-being and maintain him. For this purpose, the patient was prescribed special medications (interferon injections together with ribavirin) so that the body was able to resist the virus. The treatment itself was very difficult for patients, and in terms of the number of side effects it was equated to chemotherapy. Despite everything, over the past 15 years, standard therapy with interferon and ribavirin has saved a huge number of patients from severe complications - cirrhosis and liver cancer.

In 2014, there was a breakthrough in the treatment of hepatitis C: American scientists invented a drug called sofosbuvir, which demonstrated a 98% success rate in curing HCV in clinical trials. In 2015, a whole class of new direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) based on the sofosbuvir molecule appeared, which radically changed the understanding of the treatment of hepatitis C.

If you have been affected by such a serious disease, and you are thinking about how to cure hepatitis C, then you need to find a highly qualified specialist who will recommend the right treatment regimen with modern drugs.

Modern methods of treatment

Among the drugs used in modern methods of treating hepatitis C, it is worth highlighting Sofosbuvir And Daclatasvir Indian made. These are analogues of more famous brands Sovaldi And Daklinza, manufactured in the United States. At a lower cost for Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir, their therapeutic effect is not inferior to their American prototypes. Both drugs have an antiviral effect, due to which it is possible not only to protect healthy cells, but also to suppress the development of genotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4 of hepatitis C. Depending on the genotype of the disease and the severity of clinical manifestations, the course of treatment ranges from 3 to 6 months .

An important advantage of Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir is their good compatibility with other drugs. However, there are contraindications, which include pregnancy, lactation and individual intolerance. The drugs are also not recommended for use in children under 16 years of age. It should be noted that if the dosage is incorrect, side effects such as nausea, stool instability, loss of appetite, poor sleep and headache may occur. It is for this reason that treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

Where is it safe to buy drugs to treat hepatitis C?

Due to the great demand for the delivery of medicines for Hepatitis C, fly-by-night companies have begun to appear, which in fact pose a serious danger to an inexperienced Internet user. Uncertainty in choosing a supplier over time turns into a real dilemma for people whose emotional background is already unstable due to illness.

Before making purchases online, make sure that the information offered is reliable, as well as the legitimacy of the seller, by reading reviews about the company. As a rule, fly-by-night sites do not have any mentions on the Internet, and the reviews on the sites are written by the scammers themselves.

To protect our dear readers from possible problems, our editors organized the selection of suppliers according to the criterion of “100% positive reviews” on the Internet. According to the selection criteria, as well as the number of mentions on the network, the first place was taken by the sofosbuvir delivery service called Sovihep. Full details of the Access to Advanced Therapies program and treatment costs can be found on their website.

Symptoms

The incubation period for hepatitis C is on average 50 days. Then the first signs of the disease appear:

This period lasts about a week, then comes a period of jaundice, which lasts from 3 to 5 weeks, and the following symptoms are observed:

urine becomes darker;
the skin and sclera become jaundiced;
pain is felt from the right hypochondrium;
feces become discolored.

Most often, chronic hepatitis C develops unnoticed by the patient himself; in this case, the signs of pathology are as follows:

fatigue;
feeling of weakness;
increased drowsiness;
insomnia;
loss of appetite;
dyspeptic disorders - nausea, vomiting, flatulence.

Where to go with a problem?

Hepatitis C should be treated by a hepatologist. Such a doctor has the appropriate skills and knows how to treat hepatitis C. The choice of a specialist must be approached with special responsibility.

Due to the fact that an effective treatment regimen for hepatitis C and effective drugs have appeared not so long ago, not all hepatologists today have the necessary knowledge and experience.

First of all, the doctor must carefully examine the patient and conduct the necessary tests. This is necessary in order to accurately determine the form of the pathology and the degree of its development at the current moment. The choice of treatment tactics, as well as how safe and effective the therapy will be, will depend on the data obtained.

Hepatitis C is completely curable if treatment is carried out in a timely manner. Therefore, at the first suspicion of a disease
You should immediately contact an experienced specialist.

Diagnostics

The fact of infection can be determined by testing the blood for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). Such an analysis can be carried out in almost every clinic. However, in some cases, the results may be distorted - a positive result if there is no virus in the blood, or a negative result if there is an infection.

In order to establish an accurate diagnosis, the blood is retested for anti-HCV or an additional examination is carried out, which includes the following measures:

PCR diagnostics, which can be used to detect the virus in the blood within 1-2 weeks after infection;
study of the virus to obtain information about its activity and reproduction rate (viral load);
RIBA - recombinant immunoblotting (auxiliary test);
ultrasound examination of internal organs;
needle biopsy of the liver.

Therapeutic measures

How is hepatitis C treated? New treatment for hepatitis C is based on the use of antiviral drugs. Numerous studies have found that positive results can be achieved using two medications - interferon-alpha and ribavirin.

These two drugs are prescribed in combination. Treatment for hepatitis C with the use of any one drug is carried out only if the patient is individually intolerant to the components of the drug.

The dose of the medication and the duration of the therapeutic course are determined by the doctor individually for each specific patient.

Treatment for hepatitis C should be carried out under the constant supervision of specialists who will monitor laboratory parameters. Today, hepatitis C can only be cured in this way; there are no other effective methods.

For this disease, hepatoprotective drugs are often prescribed, these include Essentiale, Silymar, Phosphogliv, lipoic acid and others. Can hepatitis C be cured with these medications? The clear answer is no.

Since these medications do not have an antiviral effect, they are therefore ineffective in treating hepatitis C. These medications can only support the functioning of hepatocytes (liver cells).

Also, for this disease, immunomodulators are prescribed, the action of which is aimed at increasing the body’s defenses, as a result of which it is able to more effectively resist the effects of infection.

Is it possible to cure hepatitis C completely? Yes, if you do not prescribe medications yourself. It is extremely important to promptly contact an experienced specialist who knows how to treat hepatitis C.

The cost of treating hepatitis C today still remains at a fairly high level - a month of therapy will cost about 40 thousand rubles. The price of hepatitis C treatment in commercial medical institutions will be higher - from 18 thousand dollars and above.

Possible side effects

Can hepatitis C be cured? Yes, but you should be prepared for the fact that side effects may develop as a result of therapeutic measures.

In some cases, treatment with ribaverin can lead to undesirable consequences such as headaches, discomfort and pain in the abdomen, increased concentration of uric acid in the blood, and a deficiency of red blood cells. Very rarely, this medication is not tolerated by the patient at all.

Interferons can also have side effects. Most often, flu-like symptoms develop. A similar reaction occurs when interferon is injected - two hours after the injection, the body temperature rises, muscle aches and general malaise develop.

After a few hours, the condition usually returns to normal, or similar symptoms may persist for several days.

The human body gets used to the action of interferon for about a month, after which all undesirable effects gradually disappear.

During the entire therapeutic course, patients note increased fatigue, decreased performance and general weakness; the level of leukocytes and platelets in the blood may also decrease.

If there are significant changes in clinical parameters, the doctor may discontinue the use of interferon for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if the level of leukocytes is insufficient, bacterial infections may develop. A low platelet count can cause bleeding.

To prevent such problems, you should regularly take tests and monitor your blood counts.

The effectiveness of therapeutic measures depends on many factors, namely:

age (in people over 40 years of age, treatment is more difficult);
gender (women are more likely and faster to be completely cured of hepatitis C);
the degree of damage to hepatocytes (with minimal changes in the liver, it is easier to treat the disease);
weight (patients with normal body weight cope with this pathology faster);
viral load (the lower the values, the higher the effectiveness of treatment).

If after a full course of therapy no viral RNA is detected in the blood, this indicates that the person has been completely cured of hepatitis C.

Contraindications

Hepatitis C is treatable, but in certain cases therapeutic measures are contraindicated, namely when:

Alternative medicine

Is hepatitis C treated with alternative medicine? Traditional methods have a supportive effect, but are not able to completely get rid of this disease.

For hepatitis C, the following traditional medicines are used:

medicinal plants. It is very useful to use decoctions based on medicinal herbs, you can use tansy, chamomile, sage, nettle, peppermint, chicory, St. John's wort, calendula, dandelion, elecampane. Decoctions should be drunk throughout the day before meals.
Corn silk, rose hips, and dill normalize liver function; it is useful to drink infusions based on them.
compress. If you have pain in the liver area, you can make a compress from boiled potatoes, kneading them first, or apply a dry, warm towel to the sore spot.
juices Freshly squeezed carrot, apple, pumpkin, beet juice helps cleanse the liver of toxic substances.
honey, olive oil, lemon. All these products are useful not only for the sick, but also for a healthy body. Based on them, you can prepare a composition for oral administration, as well as make compresses from honey on the liver area.

Before using any of the traditional medicines described above, you should definitely consult with your doctor.

Daily routine and diet

If acute hepatitis C occurs in a mild to moderate form, it is recommended to observe semi-bed rest. In severe cases, strict bed rest must be observed.

In the case of a chronic form of hepatitis, it is necessary to observe a work-rest regime; business trips, night work, contact with toxic substances, and heavy lifting are contraindicated.

After discharge from the hospital, it is necessary to avoid overheating and hypothermia, in the first 3 months you should avoid traveling to hot countries, as well as taking medications that can have a toxic effect on the liver.

Those who have suffered acute hepatitis are exempted from vaccination for six months. It is recommended to play sports only as part of therapeutic exercises.

You should eat regularly, in small portions, and breaks between meals should not exceed 3-4 hours. It is recommended to consume the products warm, avoiding too cold and hot foods.

Allowed to use:

milk and dairy products;
boiled low-fat meats and fish;
fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits;
cereals, flour products;
soups with vegetable broth.

soups with meat broth;
butter, cream;
fat sour cream;
eggs;
sausages;
caviar, herring;
tomatoes.

It is necessary to completely exclude from your diet:

In addition, it is necessary to control weight, since with excess body weight, fat accumulates in hepatocytes, which leads to disruption of the normal functioning of the liver.

Prevention

Today there is no vaccine against hepatitis C, so prevention is the only way to prevent the development of this disease.

Prevention consists of the following:

it is strictly forbidden to use other people’s razors, combs, toothbrushes and manicure tools;
Before visiting a beauty salon or dental office, you should make sure that all instruments used are thoroughly sterilized in special equipment (antiseptic agents for treating instruments cannot provide high-quality disinfection);
it is necessary to abandon the intravenous administration of narcotic drugs;
You should have one healthy sexual partner, otherwise use a condom during intimate contacts.

Modern medicine has enough capabilities to effectively treat hepatitis C. Reviews from those who have successfully dealt with this disease only confirm the reliability of the therapeutic technique used.

However, positive results can only be achieved if you do not self-medicate and strictly follow all the instructions of your doctor.

Hepatitis C is the most common and dangerous pathology among. Every year the number of sick people grows inexorably. Modern antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs provide a chance for a complete cure. The question among those who are sick remains relevant: how much can hepatitis C treatment cost?

The price of treatment varies widely due to many factors.

The essence of pathology

Hepatitis C is an acute infectious disease that occurs due to the introduction into a healthy body of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is a chain of ribonucleic acid (RNA) that uses the genetic material of liver cells (hepatocytes) for its life and development.

The main difficulty is that the disease can occur for a long period without symptoms. Meanwhile, the virus is actively developing, destroying the organ. The virus carrier, without knowing it, can infect other people during this period. The pathological process, in the absence of adequate therapy, provokes hepatocyte necrosis (cirrhosis) and liver cancer.

The virus is distinguished by its ability to mutate - there are 6 main genotypes and more than 90 subtypes.

Such genetic variability allows it to successfully develop into chronic hepatitis, deceiving the immune system. While the immune system produces antibodies to protect the body from one genotype, the virus is already producing another with different antigenic properties. For the same reason, there is no vaccine against the infection.

Routes of infection

Every person has a risk of getting hepatitis C. The main thing is to prevent infection from entering the body. To do this, you need to have information about possible routes of infection.

The hepatitis C virus is one of the hardiest and most persistent. Activity and aggressiveness persists for 4-5 days on the surface with which the infected blood has come into contact. Even if the blood has dried, the virus is alive! Before this period, it can die only as a result of two minutes of boiling or treating surfaces (objects) with a disinfectant solution with chlorine.

Routes of infection:

Direct contact with contaminated blood (parenteral, instrumental routes). A tiny drop of infected blood is enough for the virus to penetrate the circulatory system. The disease can be transmitted during any manipulations that involve blood - transfusion, hemodialysis, surgical interventions, dressings. The risk exists in all places where blood and its components may appear - hospitals, beauty salons (manicure, pedicure, piercing, tattooing), dental clinics. Using other people's hygiene products - a toothbrush, shaving machine, nail scissors, tweezers - is fraught with infection. The virus can be transmitted through a kiss if there are wounds in the mouth. The largest number of cases is recorded among injection drug addicts who use one needle for several people.
Intimacy. Unprotected sexual contact can cause hepatitis C infection through microtrauma of the skin and mucous membranes. This route of infection is relevant during the acute phase of the disease.
Infection of a child from the mother (vertical route). It is transmitted to the fetus in the womb through the vessels of the uteroplacental bloodstream or during passage through the birth canal during delivery. The virus is not transmitted through breast milk. However, it is worth carefully monitoring the integrity of the skin of the nipples and areolas.

The virus is not transmitted through hugs, handshakes, coughing, or sneezing. The airborne route of infection is not typical for it. You should not avoid communicating with infected people.

In 20% of cases, the cause of the disease cannot be determined.

In order to prevent the mass spread of pathology in Russia, men with this disease do not serve in the army.

Clinical picture

It’s not for nothing that hepatitis C is called the gentle killer. Often the disease does not manifest itself at all. Many infected people live with it for decades, unaware of its existence. At the same time, pathological processes occur in the body - liver tissue is destroyed, the person is a carrier of the virus. The disease gradually and confidently becomes chronic. During the latent period, you can become infected from a patient.

The liver has no nerve endings. That is why diseases occur in a latent form, which causes late diagnosis. As a result, the risk of developing complications in the form of cirrhosis and organ cancer increases.

The acute form of the course is characterized by the following symptoms:

yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes;
loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea;
apathy, fatigue, lethargy;
dark urine, light feces;
liver pain.

Late stages of the disease are characterized by blood clotting disorders. It manifests itself as bleeding of varying severity - nasal, gastrointestinal. Such signs indicate that an irreversible process of liver cell necrosis is occurring.

Diagnostics

Very often, the disease is diagnosed completely by accident during an examination of the body for other pathologies.

The attending physician makes a diagnosis based on the results of:

general and biochemical blood test;
fecal occult blood test;
analysis for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and HCV-RNA;
analysis for antibodies of the lgM class (anti - HCV lgM).

Hardware diagnostics are carried out using ultrasound (US) or computed tomography (CT) of the abdominal organs.

Sometimes it is necessary to take a piece of liver tissue for further examination - a biopsy.

It is possible that the virus is not detected, but antibodies are present in the blood. This indicates that the body managed to overcome the infection on its own and self-healing occurred.

Therapy

The first mention of hepatitis C was recorded in 1989. Until this time it was called “neither A nor B.” Since then, scientists have been intensively fighting the disease, creating new drugs.

Important! In 2014, highly qualified infectious disease hepatologists around the world made a sensational verdict - hepatitis C received the status of a completely curable infectious pathology.

As a result of medical progress, treatment protocols have been developed that demonstrate 99% success, which is equivalent to complete victory over the virus.

The effectiveness of the therapy depends on:

timely diagnosis and initiation of adequate treatment;
qualifications and experience of the doctor;
correctly selected scheme;
physical data of the patient - gender, body weight, age;
characteristics of the body;
degree of liver cell damage (from 0 to 4, where 4 is cirrhosis);
virus genotype;
rate of development of pathology;
state of immunity.

The main goals of treatment are to eliminate the virus from the body, which will stop the process of liver destruction.

Modern treatment

Several regimens are used to treat hepatitis C. Standard is a combination of interferon and ribavirin.

Interferons are proteins that are secreted by body cells in response to virus penetration. Interferon preparations have antiviral, immunomodulatory, antitumor, and antiproliferative properties.

Pegylated interferons (peginterferons) differ from regular ones in their prolonged action. Thanks to the interferon molecule, which is associated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), its concentration in the body is maintained much longer. There are 2 types of peginterferon - interferon alpha-2a and 2-b, which are equally effective.

Ribavirin is a strong antiviral drug that is active against the hepatitis C virus. It has a cumulative effect, which ensures the accumulation of the drug in the body, thereby increasing the effect on the virus.

The dosage and duration of therapy is selected by the hepatologist for each patient individually.

Therapy without the use of interferons

Medicine does not stand still. Not long ago, new direct-acting antiviral drugs were invented and tested.

The criterion for effectiveness is sustained virological response (SVR) – the undetectability of the virus in the blood after the course has been completed.

The medicine acts on the virus itself, after which it disrupts its reproduction process. These drugs have a small list of contraindications and side effects, and successfully fight the virus of different genotypes, including the first, cirrhosis of the liver. However, the cost of such treatment is incredibly high.

Where can I get information support on hepatitis C treatment?

What does the cost of treatment depend on?

All patients, without exception, are concerned about the question: how much does treatment for hepatitis C cost?

The cost of therapy varies depending on many factors. The first cost is a thorough diagnosis, which provides comprehensive information (how much the organ is affected). Based on the results of tests and hardware diagnostics, the hepatologist selects medications and develops a dosage regimen - dosage and course duration. The general health of the patient, the state of his immune system, the presence or absence of concomitant diseases, and physical characteristics (gender, weight, age) are also important.

The first genotype of the virus is the most resistant to drug therapy, so it is more expensive to cure than the others.

The main cost item is the cost of the drugs themselves. In addition, it is important how the body responds to therapy; it may be necessary to create other schemes, and this will involve additional costs.

Prices for medicines are quite high. However, there is the option of choosing domestically produced analogue drugs or generics, which, with a properly developed treatment regimen, are no less effective, but are several times cheaper.

Approximate cost of treatment

There can be no talk of specific figures for the cost of treating the disease, since they cannot be applied to absolutely every patient.

Based on pharmacy prices of drugs, we will consider the approximate amounts that a patient will have to pay for hepatitis C treatment in Russia.

The cheapest option for combination antiviral therapy is the traditional regimen, using conventional interferon (Reaferon) and ribavirin. The course of therapy ranges from 24-48 weeks (can increase to 72 weeks).

So, to treat genotypes 2.3 on average you will need:

18 packages - 84 injections of Reaferon (injections every other day) with a dosage of 3 million, 1,200 rubles each = 21,600 rubles;
14 packs of Ribavirin (tablets/capsules every day) with a dosage of 200 mg for 300 rubles = 4200 rubles.

The minimum cost for a course of treatment was 25,800 rubles. Control tests will help check the effectiveness. The total amount will be about 30,000 rubles.

Genotype 1 requires more intense therapy, and material costs increase accordingly. In addition, the drugs are used in higher dosages and the course of treatment is longer:

36 packages of Reaferon with a dosage of 5 million, 1500 each = 54,000 rubles;
34 packs of Ribavirin = 10,200 rubles

Total, 64200 – minimum cost.

Often therapy is intensified for the first 12 weeks by administering interferon injections every day. So, plus 8 packs * 1500 = 12,000 rubles.

Another plus will be payment for control examinations. The total will be more than 80,000 rubles.

Treatment with pegylated interferons

For more effective and gentle therapy, pegylated interferons are used.

There are 3 pegintreferon drugs registered in the Russian Federation:

Pegasys (peginterferon alfa 2a) produced by F. Hoffmann - La Roche, France;
PegIntron (peginterferon alfa 2b) – Merck, Germany;
Algeron is a complete analogue of PeGintron, Biocad, Russian Federation.

The prices for these medications for hepatitis C are not low, but they also need to be administered into the body according to a different scheme than regular interferon (on average three times less).

Pegasis and Algeron cost about 5,000 rubles per injection. An average course of therapy for genotype 2.3 requires a minimum of 140,000 rubles - this is only for peligated interferon. And for therapy of genotype 1 – 280,000 rubles.

Pegintron costs 7,000 rubles for 1 injection. The minimum course of treatment for genotype 2.3 will be 196,000 rubles, for genotype 1 – 392,000 rubles.

Clinical studies have shown that peginterferon alfa 2a, 2b are almost identical in effectiveness.

Triple therapy

The most problematic groups of patients are patients with hepatitis C genotype 1, liver cirrhosis, as well as those who have not responded to therapy or have had a relapse of the disease after successful therapy.

In this case, a third component is added to the combination of interferon (peginterferon) and ribavirin - a viral protease inhibitor.

First generation protease inhibitor drugs, which are registered in Russia, have been used since 2013:

Insivo (Telaprevir) - Vertex, USA;
Victrelis (Boceprevir) - Schering Plow, Singapore.

The course of treatment is 24-72 weeks.

The cost of Insivo tablets with a dosage of 375 mg is 60,000 rubles for 42 pieces. A monthly course costs approximately 830,000 rubles.

Victrelis capsules with a dosage of 200 mg - 50,000 rubles for 336 pieces. Monthly course – 220,000 rubles.

Despite the effectiveness of the regimen, all the disadvantages of chemotherapy remain, to which serious side effects have been added. Tolerability was recorded even more difficult than with traditional antiviral therapy. Currently, hepatitis C is rarely treated using this regimen.

Interferon-free therapy

An innovative direction of antiviral therapy is the treatment of the disease without the use of interferon, and sometimes even without ribavirin.

Registered direct acting drugs in Russia:

Simeprevir "Janssen-Cilag" INTERNATIONAL N.V., Belgium - a second-generation hepatitis C virus protease inhibitor. Prescribed 1 tablet per day (150 mg). The approximate cost of the course is 2,500,000 rubles.
Daklinza (Daklatasvir) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, USA. Take 1 tablet per day with a dosage of 60 mg. The minimum cost of treatment is 600,000 rubles.
Sunvepra (Asunaprevir) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, USA. The cost of the course is 60,000 rubles.
Vikeira Pak (ritonavir-boosted paritaprevir, ombitasvir, dasabuvir) “Abbwy Ireland” NL. B.V., Ireland. The cost of the course is 800,000 rubles.
Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) Gilead Sciences, Ireland. The cost of a 12-week course is 800,000 rubles.

All approximate amounts are calculated for a minimum course of treatment (12 weeks), excluding the cost of peginterferon and ribavirin. Each of the drugs can be combined with other antiviral agents. The most effective combination is selected by the attending physician.

The cost of therapy with these drugs is not affordable for many patients with hepatitis C. However, there are generic drugs made in India and Egypt, which are more affordable and no less effective. They are not commercially available; you will have to order them from manufacturing countries via the Internet.

It is possible to cure hepatitis C; the main thing is to start antiviral therapy in a timely manner. This process is lengthy, labor-intensive, and requires significant financial costs. The cost of therapy depends on many factors and ranges from 30,000 rubles per course to several million. In Russia, there is a state program for the treatment of hepatitis C, under which theoretically it is possible to undergo therapy for free. However, patients mostly have to rely on their own financial resources.

Hepatitis C can be completely cured. Standard therapy is effective for 40–80% of patients, depending on the genotype of the hepatitis C virus. But modern three-component and interferon-free regimens can cure almost 100% of those infected.

With the help of properly selected treatment, hepatitis B can be transferred to a state of stable remission: the virus will remain in the body, but in an inactive state.

Where is treatment for hepatitis?

It is necessary to contact a clinic that specializes in infectious diseases. You will probably find a hepatologist there. He will conduct an examination and prescribe the necessary treatment.

To cure hepatitis, do you need to go to the hospital?

The hospital treats only acute forms of hepatitis. Chronic viral hepatitis is treated on an outpatient basis: the doctor prescribes medication and regularly monitors the progress of treatment.

Do you always need to be treated for hepatitis?

Yes, hepatitis should always be treated. But sometimes, based on test data, the availability of necessary drugs, and his own experience, the doctor may postpone active treatment. In any case, you need to monitor the behavior of the infection and undergo regular examinations.

What happens if hepatitis is not treated at all?

Without treatment, chronic viral hepatitis can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer and ultimately lead to death.

In addition, there is a risk of various extrahepatic manifestations, which can also seriously reduce the quality of life.

I have hepatitis, I went to the doctor, but he didn’t prescribe anything for me - what should I do?

If you went to a specialized infectious diseases clinic, the hepatologist conducted the necessary studies, including finding out the condition of the liver; perhaps he believes that in your case you can wait with active treatment. Your current health condition may not allow you to use currently available therapy.

If in doubt, contact another hepatologist. For example, in a regional center or another big city.

In any case, if you are not yet being treated, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations in order to notice signs of disease progression in time. In addition, it is necessary to regularly monitor the condition of the liver. Keep in mind that an abdominal ultrasound does not provide enough information to determine the current condition of the liver.

They say that hepatitis treatment has many side effects.

Each patient tolerates treatment differently. Previously, antiviral therapy could actually cause unpleasant side effects. Treatment with new drugs is practically free of side effects.

How long does treatment for hepatitis take?

The duration of treatment depends on many factors: what kind of hepatitis, the genotype of the virus, the activity of the virus and, of course, the treatment used.

Treatment of hepatitis B with interferon drugs lasts 48 weeks. When using nucleotide(s)ide analogues, the duration of treatment is difficult to predict - it is very individual.

Standard treatment regimens for hepatitis C with interferon drugs in combination with ribavirin are designed for 24 or 48 weeks. Three-component schemes - on average 24 weeks. The duration of hepatitis treatment with modern interferon-free regimens can be reduced to 12 weeks.

Will hepatoprotectors help prevent getting infected or recover from hepatitis?

No. Hepatoprotectors are “supportive drugs.” They do not interact with the virus in any way. Many such drugs are useless or even dangerous for the body.

To treat a viral disease, it is necessary to use special antiviral drugs, which are prescribed by a hepatologist after conducting a comprehensive examination of the patient’s body and identifying the characteristics of the virus itself.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that affects the liver and is transmitted primarily through blood. Hepatitis C often becomes chronic.

Statistics on the prevalence of hepatitis C in Russia vary greatly, which is due to the large number of asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis C. The infection is believed to be more common among young people 20–29 years old, which is associated with injection drug use. According to rough estimates, the prevalence of hepatitis C in our country is 4.5 people per 100,000 population.

Most often, the initial stages of hepatitis C occur without noticeable symptoms. Signs of the disease appear only when a significant part of the liver is affected. The absence of characteristic symptoms leads to the fact that many people infected with the hepatitis virus do not know about their illness.

The first six months of the disease are called the acute stage of hepatitis C. In approximately 25% of cases, the immune system copes with the disease, and the virus disappears from the body. In other cases, the virus is detected in the blood for many years. This is called chronic hepatitis C.

Depending on the presence or absence of other risk factors, such as alcohol use, without treatment, approximately 10–40% of chronic hepatitis C cases will develop cirrhosis, often 20 years or more after infection. About 20% of cases of cirrhosis develop liver failure, and 1 in 20 cases develop liver cancer. Both can be fatal.

Liver

The liver is the body's "factory" that performs hundreds of vital tasks, including the following:

storage of glycogen - a carbohydrate that quickly provides cells with energy;
protein synthesis;
production of bile, which helps digest fats;
production of blood clotting substances;
processing and removing alcohol, toxins and drugs from the body.

A person has only one liver, but it is very resilient. It continues to work even with extensive lesions due to its ability to self-heal.

The main route of transmission of hepatitis C is through the blood of a sick person. Both patients with acute and chronic hepatitis (including carriers of the virus who do not have symptoms) are contagious.

Hepatitis C can be treated with antiviral drugs, which prevent it from multiplying in the body and avoid liver damage. The most commonly used drugs are interferon and ribavirin.

There are six different strains (genotypes) of the hepatitis C virus, and some are more treatable than others. The most common genotypes of the hepatitis C virus are 1 and 3. When treating genotype 1, cure is possible in approximately 50% of cases, and genotype 3 in 80%.

Two new drugs were recently released called boceprevir and telaprevir. These medications may be helpful when standard methods are not effective.

Unlike other forms of hepatitis, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C. There are two ways to reduce the likelihood of infection:

Do not take intravenous drugs.
Use your own razor, toothbrush and towel, as there may be traces of blood on them.

The risk of sexual transmission of the disease is low, but it is recommended to use a condom when having intimate relations with a new partner.

Symptoms of Hepatitis C

Symptoms of acute hepatitis C are rare. Only 1 out of 4 patients notices signs of hepatitis in the first 6 months from the moment of infection.

Possible symptoms of acute hepatitis C:

temperature rise to 38ºC or higher;
fatigue;
loss of appetite;
abdominal pain;
nausea;
vomit.

These symptoms appear several weeks after infection.

1 in 5 people with signs of hepatitis develops jaundice: the skin and visible mucous membranes become yellow.

In 20% of people with hepatitis, the immune system successfully destroys the virus, and no further symptoms appear (unless the person becomes infected again). In other cases, the virus lives in the human body for years. This is called chronic hepatitis C.

Symptoms of chronic hepatitis C

Symptoms of hepatitis C can vary greatly from person to person, ranging from mild to severe, making it difficult to lead a normal life. Signs of hepatitis may disappear for a long time - during remission - and then reappear.

The most common symptoms of hepatitis C are:

chronic fatigue - sleep does not give vigor;
headache;
depression;
impairments in short-term memory, attention, and the ability to perform relatively complex mental tasks (such as mental arithmetic)—many describe this as “brain fog”;
mood swings;
indigestion or bloating;
muscle and joint pain;
skin itching;
flu-like symptoms, as in the active stage of the disease;
abdominal pain;
pain in the liver area (in the right upper abdomen).

None of the symptoms above certainly mean that you have hepatitis C, but you need to be tested to find out exactly what is causing your illness.

Causes of Hepatitis C

The hepatitis C virus is found in the blood of a sick person, so the easiest way to become infected is through contact with blood. A very small amount is enough for this. The virus can live outside the human body in spots of dried blood for 16 hours, but no longer than 4 days (at room temperature).

Intravenous drugs are the main risk factor for hepatitis C. In our country, 75–80% of patients with hepatitis C admit to using injecting drugs at least once in their lives. The disease is transmitted through needles and other objects. You can become infected with hepatitis just by pricking yourself once with a used needle.

There have also been reports of hepatitis C contracting from snorting cocaine through a rolled-up bill or straw. Cocaine damages the nasal mucosa, causing bleeding. You can inhale the blood of an infected person and become infected yourself.

Hepatitis C can be contracted through unprotected sex (without a condom). Although it is believed that the likelihood of this is small. The risk is increased in homosexuals. It also increases when there is damage to the skin and genital mucosa caused by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or HIV.

The best way to prevent hepatitis C infection is to use condoms. The risk of infection is very low for couples in long-term, stable relationships, so they may choose not to use condoms. If your partner has hepatitis C, you should get tested.

It is also possible to become infected with hepatitis through a blood transfusion. In Russia, all blood donors are tested for hepatitis C. The blood is then kept in quarantine in case the donor was in the early stages of hepatitis during the test, when antibodies to the virus are not yet detectable in the blood. If hepatitis is detected in a donor during the quarantine period, the blood is destroyed. Despite these measures, there remains a risk of contracting hepatitis C after a blood transfusion. About 1% of all infected people in our country fell ill in this way.

If you have received blood transfusions or received medical services in other countries where instruments are not adequately sterilized or donor blood is poorly processed, there is a risk of contracting hepatitis. The virus can live in blood particles on instruments.

Hepatitis C is transmitted through common hygiene products: toothbrushes, scissors and razors if they come into contact with blood. It is possible to become infected through hairdressing tools if they contain traces of contaminated blood and are not sterilized or cleaned before use. However, today most hairdressing salons comply with all sanitary and hygienic requirements, so the risk of infection is low.

There is a risk of contracting hepatitis C from unsterile tattooing or piercing equipment. Like hair salons, most tattoo parlors today follow all sanitary and hygienic requirements, so the risk of infection is low.

Contrary to popular belief, the hepatitis C virus is not transmitted through personal contact, such as hugging, kissing or sharing cutlery. It is also not transmitted through the toilet seat.

There is a small chance that a mother infected with hepatitis C will pass the disease to her child. This occurs in about 2% of cases, however, the likelihood increases if the mother also has HIV or a very high concentration of viruses (viral load) in the body.

There is a small (about one in thirty) risk of contracting hepatitis C if you accidentally puncture your skin with a needle used by an infected person. The risk is increased for doctors, nurses and laboratory workers as they regularly work with blood and body fluids containing it.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C

If you think you may have been infected with hepatitis C, it is best to get tested. A negative result will dispel doubts and reassure you, and if positive, you can begin treatment immediately.

You can get tested for hepatitis C free of charge, under the compulsory medical insurance policy. To do this, contact a therapist or infectious disease specialist at a local clinic. The doctor will give you a referral for tests, which you can take at the clinic or diagnostic center.

You can get tested for hepatitis for a fee, without a referral, in many territorial clinics in the department of paid services, as well as in specialized medical laboratories.

who use or have previously tried injecting drugs;
people who have had an organ transplant in countries where hepatitis C is common;
children born from a mother infected with hepatitis C;
people who accidentally come into contact with the virus (needle stick or blood contact), such as healthcare workers;
people who have had a tattoo or piercing done with a non-sterile instrument;
sexual partners of people with hepatitis C;
people who have lived or been treated in areas where hepatitis C is common - for example, North Africa, the Middle East, Central and East Asia.

In addition, it is necessary to donate blood for hepatitis during pregnancy and when applying for certain types of work (for example, to obtain a medical record). Testing for hepatitis when applying for a job is always paid for.

Hepatitis C test

There are two blood tests to diagnose hepatitis C:

antibody test;
PCR analysis.

Test for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. During this test, the hepatitis C virus is determined by the presence of corresponding antibodies in the blood.

Antibodies are proteins that are produced by the immune system to fight viruses. Antibodies to hepatitis C are not produced immediately, so the first few months after infection the test may give a false negative result.

If your antibody test comes back negative but you have symptoms of hepatitis C or have been exposed to the virus, your doctor may recommend that you get tested again. A positive result (presence of antibodies) means infection with hepatitis C, including in the past, and since then there may be no viruses left in the body.

The only way to make sure you are not currently infected is to do a second blood test called a PCR test.

PCR diagnostics(using the polymerase chain reaction method) is based on the detection of genetic material (RNA molecules) of replicating viruses in the body. PCR diagnostics can detect viruses in the body 1–2 weeks after infection.

Typically, PCR is prescribed when the test result is positive for hepatitis antibodies. Normally, the test should be negative. It can be positive due to hepatitis C infection.

Blood chemistry- This is a blood test from a vein on an empty stomach. Liver tests are determined in the blood - indicators that characterize the performance of the liver, the intensity of the inflammatory process, the level of damage to liver cells, as well as the condition of the pancreas and gall bladder.

Ultrasound of the liver

Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) of the liver and other abdominal organs allows one to evaluate the size and structure of the liver, gall bladder, spleen, and pancreas. Using ultrasound, you can judge the amount of scar tissue in the liver and the size of the splenic vein - indicators of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Elastography (elastometry, fibroscan)

For patients with chronic hepatitis C, the level of fibrosis in the liver is determined using Fibroscan - this is a device that measures the elasticity of liver tissue using ultrasonic waves. The study is called elastography (elastometry), and is carried out using Fibroscan devices.

Elastography results are assessed using 5 steps: from F0 to F4. Stage zero is the complete absence of fibrosis in the liver (no scar tissue), stage four is cirrhosis of the liver.

Elastography is a new diagnostic method that can replace invasive testing - liver biopsy.

Liver biopsy

The extent of damage from hepatitis C can be assessed using a liver biopsy - taking pieces of liver tissue for analysis.

During the procedure, a thin hollow needle is inserted through the skin into the liver and liver cells are removed. The liver cells are then examined under a microscope to assess damage and the severity of cirrhosis.

Hepatitis C treatment

The sooner treatment for hepatitis C is started, the higher the likelihood of recovery and the less damage to the liver.

Acute hepatitis C is treated in a hospital (infectious diseases hospital), chronic hepatitis is treated on an outpatient basis, that is, there is no need to go to the hospital. The need for hospitalization for a chronic disease may arise only when the condition worsens, complications arise, or for a complete examination. It is recommended to avoid strenuous physical activity, lifting heavy objects, night shift work and activities involving toxic substances.

Treatment of patients with hepatitis C in the acute phase is carried out using interferon preparations (for example, regular interferon alpha-2 or pegelated interferon). This treatment helps increase the cure rate to 80–90%.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Two drugs are commonly used to treat chronic hepatitis C:

Pegylated interferon (administered as an injection) is an artificially created protein that stimulates the immune system, causing it to attack the virus;
Ribavirin (taken in capsule or tablet form) is an antiviral drug that prevents the hepatitis C virus from spreading throughout the body.

This approach is called “combination therapy.” The duration of the course of treatment will depend on the genotype of the hepatitis C virus. For type 1 of the virus, a 48-week course is recommended. For all other genotypes, a 24-week course is recommended. Throughout treatment, blood tests are taken to help monitor the effectiveness of treatment.

The effectiveness of combination therapy also depends on the genotype of the virus. Type 1 is the most difficult to treat. Recovery is achieved only in half of all cases. Other genotypes respond better to treatment, with an effectiveness rate of approximately 75–80%.

Side effects from combination therapy occur frequently and can be severe. One or more side effects occur in 3 out of 4 cases. Side effects of combination therapy:

anemia (anemia) - a decrease in the number of red blood cells, which can cause constant fatigue and shortness of breath;
loss of appetite;
anxiety;
irritability;
sleep disorders (insomnia);
itchy skin;
nausea;
flu-like symptoms, such as a high fever, that occur within 48 hours of the interferon shot.

Over time, as the body gets used to the treatment, side effects usually subside. Dealing with the side effects of hepatitis medications can be difficult, but it is important to continue taking your medications for good results.

If the treatment regimen is violated, the likelihood of recovery decreases. However, if any side effects are severe, treatment can be adjusted under the supervision of a physician.

If you take ribavirin during pregnancy, it will harm your unborn baby. Therefore, before starting to take the drug, it is recommended to take a pregnancy test. If you are expecting a baby, treatment will be delayed until after birth. During treatment with ribavirin and 7 months after the end, a reliable method of contraception is required.

Boceprevir and telaprevir are protease inhibitors. They block the action of enzymes that the virus requires to reproduce. These products are available in tablet form. They should be used in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. One tablet should be taken three times daily for 48 weeks. It is still unclear which is more effective: boceprevir or telaprevir.

Side effects of boceprevir:

flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills;
loss of appetite;
nausea;
insomnia;
weight loss;
dyspnea.

Side effects of telaprevir:

anemia (anemia);
nausea;
vomit;
diarrhea;
haemorrhoids;
itchy skin rash.

All hepatitis C medications can interact in unexpected ways with other medications, including over-the-counter medications and herbal remedies such as St. John's wort. Before taking other medications, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

If you have been cured of hepatitis C, this does not mean that you cannot become infected with it again, since the disease does not leave behind lasting immunity. For example, if you continue to use intravenous drugs after treatment, you may be at risk of getting hepatitis C again.

You can become infected with several types of hepatitis at once, and this complicates treatment. So if you have chronic hepatitis C, your healthcare provider may recommend that you get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B. They may also recommend that you get a seasonal flu and pneumococcal vaccine.

Unfortunately, even standard drugs for the treatment of chronic hepatitis are very expensive. Therefore, not everyone can afford treatment. However, there are several options for free or partially free treatment: within the framework of national projects or programs, after registration of disability, as well as when participating in clinical trials of drugs.

You can learn more about how to get free treatment for hepatitis C. In addition, you can get back some of the money spent on examinations and medications by applying for a tax deduction for treatment.

Complications of hepatitis C

Chronic hepatitis C sometimes leads to irreversible liver damage called cirrhosis. The risk of this complication increases in the absence of adequate treatment. On average, it takes about 20 years for cirrhosis to develop.

Cirrhosis of the liver

The risk of cirrhosis increases:

alcohol consumption;
elderly age;
HIV and other types of hepatitis such as hepatitis B.

Depending on these factors, the probability of cirrhosis can reach from 10 to 40%.

Symptoms of cirrhosis:

fatigue and weakness;
loss of appetite;
nausea;
severe skin itching;
soreness or pain in the liver area;
red spider veins on the body above the waist;
jaundice.

Treatments available today help relieve symptoms and slow its progression. However, it is impossible to restore a liver with cirrhosis. Therefore, the only radical treatment is a liver transplant.

Liver failure

The liver performs many tasks, such as cleansing the blood of toxins and synthesizing essential enzymes and proteins, such as those necessary for blood clotting.

In severe cases of cirrhosis, the liver ceases to cope with its functions. This is called liver failure.

Symptoms of liver failure:

hair loss;
swelling of the legs, ankles and feet;
ascites - accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, due to which the abdomen increases significantly in size;
dark urine;
black, tarry, or very pale stools;
frequent bleeding from the nose or gums;
easy bruising;
vomiting blood.

After the onset of liver failure, life can be maintained for several more years using modern methods of therapy. However, the only radical treatment for liver failure is a liver transplant.

Liver cancer

According to statistics, about 1 in 20 people with cirrhosis caused by hepatitis will develop liver cancer.

Liver cancer symptoms:

unexpected weight loss;
nausea;
vomit;
fatigue;
jaundice.

There is generally no cure for liver cancer, especially in people with cirrhosis, although chemotherapy can help slow the spread of the disease.

Other complications

Other, more rare, complications of chronic hepatitis C:

dry mouth and eyes (associated with the destruction of the sweat, salivary and lacrimal glands);
lichen planus (patches of itchy skin);
inflammation of the kidneys (glomerulonephritis);
photosensitivity, causing blisters and ulcers on the skin;
hyperfunction of the thyroid gland;
cryoglobulinemia (a pathological reaction to cold when atypical proteins damage the skin, nervous system and kidneys);
lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes);
insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus;
gallbladder diseases.

Lifestyle with hepatitis C

Below are answers to some questions about diet, work, travel, and childbirth for people with hepatitis C.

dairy products;
boiled or stewed lean meat (beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit);
low-fat fish (pike, carp, pike perch, cod, sea bass);
vegetables, fruits, sauerkraut;
cereal and flour non-food products;
soups and borscht in vegetable broths.

Limit fatty foods such as butter, cream, sour cream, cheese, sausages, fish roe, as well as meat broths, eggs (yolks) and tomatoes.

Prohibited:

all types of alcohol (even beer);
pork, lamb, goose, duck;
spicy, marinated, fried, smoked;
fatty confectionery products;
chocolate, coffee, cocoa;
tomato juice.

During the acute period of the disease, rest is necessary, all types of physical activity are excluded. 3-6 months after the condition improves, you can gradually return to your normal lifestyle, provided you feel well and have satisfactory blood test results.

Watch your weight, eat healthy food. Research shows that being overweight increases your risk of developing fatty deposits in your liver, which can make your condition worse. At a normal weight, you will also respond better to treatment. To maintain health, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations on diet, regimen and medication.

There are no reliable criteria for complete cure. Sometimes the disease comes back again. Therefore, anyone who has suffered from hepatitis C should be periodically observed by a doctor. The schedule for visiting and taking tests is determined by the doctor. Typically, a routine examination is scheduled 1, 3, 6 months after discharge from the hospital (if there was hospitalization) or at the discretion of the doctor with whom you are registered at the dispensary.

Typically, health monitoring of hepatitis C survivors is carried out on the basis of hepatology centers or infectious diseases rooms at a territorial clinic.

If your work is not associated with occupational hazards or heavy workload, and you cope with your duties despite the infection, it is not necessary to report your diagnosis to your boss. The exception is types of work associated with contact with blood, for example, medical activities.

If you plan to travel abroad, consult your doctor about vaccinations. You may want to consider taking medical documents, such as test results or medical history, with you on your trip in case you need treatment abroad.

Pregnancy and hepatitis C

Pregnancy must be strictly abstained during treatment, as medications can have a harmful effect on the fetus. After finishing treatment, you can plan to have a baby, but there is a small risk (about 2%) that hepatitis C will be transmitted from mother to baby. The risk is higher if the mother also has HIV.

If a man has hepatitis C, there is a small chance that he will pass the infection to a woman during unprotected sex. Therefore, during pregnancy it is mandatory to be tested for hepatitis C.

Which doctor should I see if I have hepatitis C?

If you have symptoms of hepatitis, contact your general practitioner (family doctor) or pediatrician (for your child), since the described symptoms may be associated with many reasons, and not with liver disease, and an initial diagnosis is required, which is carried out by a general specialist. If you have previously been in contact with a patient, used drugs, or encountered other risk factors for hepatitis C and are highly likely to believe that you have contracted viral hepatitis, you can immediately visit an infectious disease specialist. Using our service, you can find these specialists by following the links.

If you have been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C, you can find a good hepatologist or infectious disease specialist in your city. Infectious disease specialists have a broader profile, as they also treat other infections. Hepatologists specialize mainly in liver diseases of a viral nature. If these specialists are not available, find a gastroenterologist who can monitor your treatment. You will probably still need to periodically go for a consultation with a hepatologist or infectious disease specialist in another city or regional center.

Patients suffering from viral liver damage and unable to purchase expensive medications are given quotas for the treatment of hepatitis C. It is very difficult to cope with a serious illness on your own without sufficient funds, so the state is trying to help patients by providing the right to undergo a free treatment course. To receive benefits, you must promptly contact a special commission and undergo the appropriate examination.

Hepatitis C is different in that it tends to develop slowly without any obvious signs. People who have been infected may not be aware of the presence of a dangerous disease for a long time. Often the manifestations of the disease are perceived as symptoms of a common cold, which contributes to the further progression of the disease. If the pathology develops rapidly, the patient faces a coma, but there may be no other symptoms.

Taking antiviral therapy requires significant financial costs, especially when using foreign drugs, which is impossible for most patients.

Due to the high cost of medications, a state program for the treatment of hepatitis C has been developed, which allows certain groups of patients to fight the pathology without spending their own money on therapy.

There are several free treatment options.

You can get rid of the disease thanks to:

Allocation of funds from budgets of various levels directly to the fight against viral hepatitis.
Therapy provided for by the state program for certain categories of the population.
Participation in trials of drugs with antiviral effects, which are carried out by pharmaceutical companies.
Health insurance program. In other words, the costs of therapy are reimbursed by the insurance company.
Benefits prescribed by local legislation in certain regions.

However, obtaining a quota has its own subtleties. Despite the availability of free government programs and free treatment for viral liver damage, there is no unified federal program. There is also a need to create a unified legislative framework.

Therefore, for now, patients can take advantage of a variety of regional government programs, and to become a participant in them, they will have to try hard.

Interferon-free therapy for hepatitis C is becoming increasingly popular. To undergo it, you cannot do without a referral from a specialist.

For treatment at a regional hepatology center you need:

consultation with an infectious disease specialist (if one is not available, you can contact a therapist);
passing the necessary tests;
confirmation of the primary diagnosis;
getting directions.

The next stage is undergoing examination at the center itself, the role of which can also be performed by infectious diseases hospitals. You should be prepared for the fact that you will need to pay for some tests, so it is advisable to clarify this issue in advance.

If medical care at the state level turns out to be unavailable, it is possible to receive compensation. We are talking about a tax deduction for treatment, which will allow you to return part of the funds that were spent on fighting a serious illness.

The program created for free treatment of hepatitis C is of interest to every patient dealing with a similar pathology. Unfortunately, not everyone can take advantage of existing opportunities.

Who is entitled to a quota for hepatitis C treatment?

According to established rules, patients suffering from:

fibrosis grade 3 or 4;
high activity of the pathogen (increased liver parameters).

However, patients will be treated only in cases where there are no contraindications.

Their list is presented:

bearing a child and breastfeeding;
mental disorders (severe depression, history of suicidal tendencies).

Diabetics and hypertensive patients must have a certificate from an ophthalmologist.

If a patient has an initial stage of fibrosis, they will not yet be able to be treated at public expense. Although the program provides free medical care for the rapid development of fibrosis.

Every year the situation is gradually changing, which makes it possible for more people to seek treatment without having to spend significant amounts of money on drugs.

You should not wait until your health seriously deteriorates. To be included in the list of patients treated with specially purchased drugs, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations.

Obtaining free medicines is made possible thanks to the availability of databases of patients suffering from hepatitis C, which hospitals in each region have. Funds are specifically allocated to combat pathology. Therefore, when a patient is constantly examined by a doctor and confirms his diagnosis, he has a chance to become a participant in the state program.

Effective elimination of hepatitis C manifestations involves the use of expensive medications. Naturally, not everyone can afford such therapy. Therefore, appropriate programs are created, thanks to which patients receive long-awaited medical care.

The national project “Health” is one of the most large-scale programs, in which more than 30 regions of the Russian Federation became participants.

You can find detailed information about the project on the official website of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Another option is to contact your local health department.

The program is not available to all patients with chronic viral infection.

The “Health” project, created for the treatment of hepatitis, will help:

patients of a certain age category – from 18 to 65 years;
in the presence of HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA in the blood (RNA - ribonucleic acid - of the hepatitis C virus can be detected in a concentration that is beyond the lower threshold of the linear concentration range);
when diagnosing liver fibrosis at stage F2 and above (the analysis should be done no earlier than a year before undergoing therapy).

Patients should not have contraindications to treatment with antiviral drugs.

Also not allowed for therapy:

pregnant women and breastfeeding women;
patients with a history of depression and suicide attempts.

If patients are diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension, they must undergo an examination of the visual organs.

To make a final decision, a special commission is created that will consider each case individually.

To become a participant in the project, you need to fulfill a number of conditions:

You should make an appointment with an infectious disease specialist. If there is no such specialist in the district clinic, you can contact a therapist. A visit to the doctor is necessary for initial diagnosis.
It is mandatory to take tests prescribed by a doctor, after which he must write a referral to the hepatology center for the next stage of examination.

If the center refuses to admit a patient, he has the right to complain to the Department of Health. Only the commission can make the final decision on whether to admit the patient to treatment or not.