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One look at the blood test of a person with hepatitis c and you will immediately spot the Hepatitis C antibody in the enzyme linked immune assay. Looking through the Hepatitis C RNA assays is also an effective way of finding out the total amount of virus present. Since liver gets damaged to a great extent in Hepatitis c infection, certain tests to track the condition of liver are also done by doctors. This includes the albumin tests and liver function tests. There are even instances where one would be asked by his doctor to take a number of liver function tests instead of just one. The extent of liver damage and the overall health status of the liver will be assessed based on the results of these tests, coupled with the result of the Prothrombin test. In some cases, the doctors might also advise you to take up a biopsy. The liver biopsy test might be suggesting you better information. The treatments that will be recommended by the doctors will largely be affected by how these results reflect the liver damage.
You can also try the genetic tests aside from the usual biochemical assays (like blood tests) and liver function tests. They do not come cheap, however. But if the situation demands it, you need to perform them to get a better result. The Hepatitis c genotype is of 6 different types. Those who have genotypes 2 and genotype 3 are quite common. They respond better than the other genotypes when various types of treatments are applied to them. The majority of the American population with Hepatitis C has a genotype 1 infection. It is much harder treating people suffering from this type. They will respond quite late to the treatment.
Which ones are most likely to get infected by Hepatitis C? The number of people suffering from different types of kidney problems is quite large. They are most likely to be undergoing a treatment such as kidney dialysis, where they have to have their blood purified. They also have to make use of an artificial kidney. These people are most likely to get Hepatitis C infection. There are many health care assistants. They will always be handling blood related tests. Thus, they can be at risk of becoming infected with the Hepatitis C virus. Pregnant women who are infected with the Hepatitis C virus are also likely to bear a child who will be at risk of developing the infection upon birth. But this is a very rare case. Actually, only 1 in 20 pregnant women have this problem.
Sharing is a good habit. But many times, fatal diseases such as AIDS have been spread because of too much sharing, especially of the wrong items. Razors and tooth brushes, for example, are not stuff that should be shared. Some bleeding might occur when using a razor. If you are having Hepatitis c infection and your friend uses the same razor, he might get affected easily. This is one of those times where sharing is not all that good.
If you are suffering from Hepatitis C infection, you should make it a point to ask your doctors first before taking any over-the-counter drugs or vitamin supplements. You should also make sure your Hepatitis A and B vaccinations are up to date. Head to the nearest health center for the vaccines.
