Hepatitis C is a condition caused by the hepatitis C virus, which leads to infection and inflammation of the liver. Any person suffering from hepatitis C can transmit it to a healthy person through blood or other fluids from the body.

Here are the risk factors and treatment options for hepatitis C you should know about.

Risk factors associated with hepatitis C
People who are at greater risk of getting the disease include the following:

• People who had to undergo a blood transfusion before 1992
  There was no screening test for the hepatitis C virus before 1992. Hence, it became the main reason behind the new cases in the country. Once the blood screening for the virus and effective testing came in 1992, the blood transfusion-related hepatitis C cases were no more found.

• People who use needles for illegal drugs
  This is among the most common risk factors of hepatitis C. As many as 80 percent of the users of needles to get illegal drugs get infected with the virus within a span of 6 months to 1 year.

• People who inhale cocaine
  Many people share tools such as straws to snort the illegal drug. This increases their chances of getting infected with the virus.

• People who deal with needles or blood
  Healthcare workers such as nurses, doctors, or people who work in the lab are more prone to hepatitis C than anyone else. These people are at high risk of coming in contact with the virus through infected blood or needles.

• Patients on dialysis
  Hepatitis C virus can be contracted from the equipment used in dialysis. If the equipment is not properly cleaned or when it is reused instead of being disposed of, the chances of a person contracting the infection increases.

Treatment options for hepatitis C
Learning about the risk factors and treatment options for hepatitis C help you fight the disease effectively. The various treatment options for the disease include:

Medication
Once the infection is diagnosed, antiviral medication is given to the patient to clear out the body’s virus. The treatment aims at having no virus detected in the patient once the treatment is completed in 12 weeks. Researches have been taking place at a fast pace. Therefore, the treatment recommendations for hepatitis C keep changing. Hence, you must consult your doctor to get the best possible medication to treat hepatitis C.

Liver transplant
Patients in which the condition has caused severe liver damage, transplanting the liver can also be a treatment option. It is a surgical procedure in which the damaged liver is removed and replaced with a healthy liver. Usually, the donated liver comes from a deceased donor. However, in some cases, living donors also donate their liver portions.