How Is HCV Diagnosed?
Usually by accident. Since most cases have no symptoms, HCV is usually discovered during a routine liver blood test Taken before donating blood, an insurance physical, or just a checkup in your doctor’s office. Once your doctor notes a elevation in your liver enzymes he will usually request additional blood tests to confirm the abnormality and to determine the cause. A hepatitis profile if often requested which test for hepatitis A, B, and C. If the test is positive for HCV then additional blood tests are done to confirm active infection plus the amount of virus present. Often a needle biopsy of the liver is recommended to determine if the infection is damaging the liver. How Is HCV Treated? Alcohol use in any form must be stopped. Studies are clear the Hepatitis C patients who regularly ingest alcohol have more active hepatitis and are much more likely to progress to liver failure. In addition drug treatment of HCV does not seem to work in alcohol users. Think of the virus as a fire i
