Hepatitis Help- Coping with Hepatitis C


by Antoinette Boulay - Date: 2006-12-19 - Word Count: 543 Share This!

Following a diagnosis of Hepatitis C, there are a lot of issues that need to be dealt with. The first will be to start a treatment program, which will be something that you will talk about with your health care provider. Just as significant as what drug therapy you will use, the level of your viral load, and whether you will need a liver biopsy, is how you are going to carry on with your life.

A patient must not let his or herself stop living because of such a diagnosis. After all, a serious liver disease may take twenty to thirty years to turn into a problem for from the time of diagnosis; but you must begin to face the future now.

A good place to start is with your mental health. No matter how you contracted the Hepatitis C virus there is no way to go back in time and redo it. Reproaching yourself will not make this better. Whether it happened as a result of something you did, like injecting recreational drugs, or things that were done to you, like blood a transfusion containing tainted blood, you need to focus on getting on with your life in the most positive way you can.

A few ways to go about doing this would include confiding in people you feel secure will be supportive. A close circle of the friends and family who can be there for you through this will benefit you. If you consider yourself religious, then you may find support through your religious leader. Look for support groups or chats rooms so you can talk to others who will know exactly what you are going through.

Hepatitis C can make you quite tired, and if you are going through drug therapy treatment, this will also tire you. That is why sleeping and eating well is important. If you need a nap, go ahead and take one; it does not have to be a long one to do its job. Eating a nourishing diet is so important, even if you don't feel particularly hungry, you should make certain to eat regularly.

This means having well balanced meals which include lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Drinking lots of water is important to help your system hydrated, as well. You shouldn't take any type of vitamin supplements without consulting your health care provider, as they interfere with your other medications. Too much of a good thing can be harmful as well. The way you eat can improve your liver by encouraging the production of new liver cells.

It may seem obvious, but keep away from consuming alcohol in any form. You are suffering from a liver disease, and alcohol causes liver disease. This should tell you something; namely, that it is not good for your present condition. It could also increase the possibility of liver disease leading to liver cancer. Another obvious one, but do not smoke or use illegal drugs at this time either.

You will find that making these lifestyles changes is not really that difficult, and overall will make you feel better. You quickly will see that you are doing the right thing, when you follow these simple rules. You really can have a full and constructive life with only the most basic of changes.


Related Tags: health, stds, hepatitis, diseases

Visit http://www.Medopedia.com to learn about the different hepatitis virus types and hepatitis c treatment options.

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