Presently, the ratio of people infected with hepatitis C has increased significantly. In America alone, there are almost 4 million people who are infected with this dangerous virus. Sadly enough, the majority of these people aren’t even aware that they are infected.
You need to understand that hepatitis C is not something that can be neglected. Once it spreads to the body, you may suffer from severe symptoms that can demolish the entire working process of your liver within a few years.
Let’s talk about a few things that you need to know about hepatitis C.
What is hepatitis C?
We can regard hepatitis C as a liver infection which can cause some severe liver damage if left untreated. It is an RNA virus that us small, positive-sense, enveloped, and single-stranded. It is possible to catch the virus and develop very mild symptoms over the years.
People can get infected with hepatitis C due to contact among their bodily fluids and blood. The most common form of hepatitis C that people in America catch is the type 1 HCV. Overall, there is no bad one but the treatment plan is different which can lead to a negative impact.
Fortunately enough, there is hepatitis testing present in every other clinic as confirmed by chicagoimmediatecare.com. You can get yourself tested on time and prevent the virus from spreading to other individuals.
Initial Symptoms of Hepatitis C
One of the major reasons why many people are not aware that their body is infected with hepatitis C is because the initial symptoms are very mild. If you possess a strong immune system, the chances are that your body will not show symptoms more than a common cold or mild flu. However, if you have doubts, it is always a good plan to get yourself tested and treated before the condition worsens. In most cases, the symptoms start to appear after 3 to 6 months.
Some of the most common hepatitis C symptoms that you need to look out for are:
- Constant tiredness and fatigue
- Joint pain and muscle soreness
- Fever and flu
- Nausea and stomach ache
- Loss of appetite
- Drastic weight loss
- Jaundice
- Dark-colored urine
- Itchiness
Impact of Diet on Hepatitis Patients
There is no special diet that you can follow if you are diagnosed with hepatitis C. People who are following a healthy diet have no issues in the curing of hepatitis. However, people with medical conditions like diabetes and HIV need to take special precautions.
Here is some health-related advice that you need to follow:
- Eat balanced and healthy meals
- Maintain your caloric intake
- Get yourself enough protein
- Avoid junk
- Diet to maintain a healthy weight
- Avoid alcoholic beverages
Let’s discuss these points in detail
Eat balanced healthy meals
Eat healthy balanced meals at least 3 times a day will help you upgrade your energy levels and prevent the symptoms of nausea. The four more important food groups that you need to include in your diet plan are:
- Whole-grain bread and cereal for healthy carbohydrates
- Vegetables and fruit for enough fiber and minerals
- Dairy products like milk and yogurt for calcium and magnesium
- Meats, lentils, eggs, etc. for protein
Your diet needs to be rich in the following vitamin and mineral supplements:
- Vitamin C
- Iron
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
Balance your calories
Having an unbalanced calorie intake can lead to severe health complications. There are different caloric needs for both men and women. Ideally, women need to have 2000 calories a day if they have a healthy weight. Men on the other hand need more than 2500 calories.
Get yourself enough protein
Lean protein is extremely important to prevent the liver from further damage. You need to build enough muscle mass and maintain it. Having an adequate amount of protein in your regular diet will help you maintain muscle mass and repair the damaged parts of the liver. It is important to eat 40 to 120 grams of protein every day. If you are a vegetarian, you need to add plant-based protein options like soy.
Avoid junk food
Good fats are healthy for your body. However, having junk food full of sugar and salt can cause you to gain weight. Junk food can actually increase your sodium levels in the body as well as increase the blood sugar levels.
Take loads of fluids
Apart from avoiding junk food, you must take plenty of fluids. Water and green tea are the best things to take as they improve the blood flow. Turmeric tea on the other hand will also improve your immunity and help you fight liver damage. As strange as it might sound, giving your body enough supply of caffeine can actually help promote liver health. Doctors suggest that having a cup or two of coffee every day can help your liver deal much better with hepatitis.
Maintain a healthy weight
If you are underweight or obese, the symptoms of hepatitis C can progress much better. Many doctors recommend their patients to maintain a healthy BMI. Your BMI is just a number but it will help you indicate whether you need to work on your health or not. It is also important that you go out and exercise every single day. Health experts recommend that walking 10,000 steps a day can actually help you burn 3500 calories a week.
Conclusion
Hepatitis C is a commonly growing virus in America, unfortunately, many people go for long periods without getting diagnosed. Since hepatitis C mostly spreads with blood and body fluid contact among two people, if you are having intercourse with multiple people, it is important to get yourself tested.
Many symptoms don’t appear before six months. Most of these symptoms are mild and flu-like. Hepatitis testing is available in every other lab and easily accessible. If you maintain your lifestyle and add healthy diet options, it can actually help you promote liver health. Exercising regularly and going for walks can actually help you maintain your weight and a healthy BMI which is important for liver health.
Nina Smith 
Kim Marks