Hepatitis C virus testing service, along with consultation and proper treatment.
What is hepatitis C virus?
Hepatitis C is a virus that causes chronic hepatitis. This infection can affect people of all genders and ages. Common symptoms of acute hepatitis C infection include high fever, jaundice, and yellow eyes, along with elevated liver function values. If left untreated, hepatitis C can progress to the chronic stage of the disease.
Furthermore, the hepatitis C virus has been identified as a cause of liver cancer. If the patient is not appropriately treated and progresses to the chronic stage within 10 years of hepatitis C infection, there is a risk of the virus advancing to liver cancer.
How can hepatitis C be transmitted?
People can become infected with hepatitis C through the following means:
- Sharing needles with individuals who have hepatitis C.
- Newborns can contract hepatitis C from infected mothers.
- Engaging in anal sex, particularly among gay men.
What are the symptoms experienced by people infected with hepatitis C?
After being exposed to the hepatitis C virus, the average incubation period for hepatitis C is 2-12 weeks before symptoms appear. This period can be divided into two phases:
- Acute phase
During the acute phase, individuals with hepatitis C may experience symptoms such as high fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dark urine, pale stools, joint pain, and jaundice. - Chronic phase
Approximately 70% of individuals who contract acute hepatitis C will develop chronic hepatitis C. Most people with chronic hepatitis C do not experience symptoms, or they may have non-specific symptoms such as chronic fatigue, depression, or consistently elevated liver function tests. Furthermore, individuals who are chronically infected with hepatitis C can develop cirrhosis and liver cancer, both of which are serious complications that can lead to death in those with hepatitis C infection.
What methods can be used to screen for hepatitis C infection?
Hepatitis C screening can be done with a preliminary blood test for Anti-HCV. If the Anti-HCV test results are positive, PSK Clinic recommends that patients also have an HCV-Viral load test approximately 6 months after the initial positive result to determine the amount of hepatitis C virus in the blood. If the virus is still detected, it indicates that the individual has progressed to the chronic stage of the disease.
Hepatitis C Infection Screening Service at PSK Clinic
PSK Clinic primarily relies on blood tests to detect the presence of the hepatitis C virus through the Anti-HCV antibody test, which helps identify any infection.
Preparation steps:
- Consult a doctor for diagnosis and information about the procedures and treatment methods.
- The doctor will collect a urine sample for laboratory testing, which takes only 15-20 minutes.
- You will receive the results within 45 minutes after the blood draw.
