How You Could Contract Hepatitis C And What You Should Do Immediately

4. Most Effective Treatments

Treatment for hepatitis C has changed over the years. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved a once-daily pill in February of 2016 that combines the drugs elbasvir and grazoprevir. The drug has been shown to cure the virus in almost one hundred percent of people who are treated with it. Other drugs include a once-daily treatment pill that combines the drugs sofosbuvir and ledipasvir, which has been shown to cure the disease in most people within eight to twelve weeks of treatment. The most commonly reported side effects of these drugs were headaches and fatigue.

3. Diagnosis

Diagnosis of hepatitis C requires a blood test known as a hepatitis C antibody screen or anti-HCV. In most cases, the blood drawn will need to be sent out to a laboratory where it can be tested. There is a rapid test that is approved by the Federal Drug Administration that is able to provide results in twenty minutes. A negative test indicates there is no hepatitis infection or exposure. Although a positive test indicates there is hepatitis exposure, it does not mean there is an infection. Viruses can live in the body for years before symptoms or infections occur.