Can hepatitis be treated

Answer 1

There are no specific medicines to cure infection with hepatitis A. Most people require no treatment except to relieve symptoms. If you have been exposed to someone who is infected with HAV, there is a treatment that may prevent you from becoming infected. It is called immune globulin and is more likely to be effective when given within 2 weeks of exposure.

Acute hepatitis B usually goes away by itself and does not require medical treatment. If very severe, symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea may require treatment to restore fluids and electrolytes. There are no medications that can prevent acute hepatitis B from becoming chronic. If you have chronic hepatitis B, you should see your health care provider regularly.

Hepatitis C infection is treated with antiviral medications intended to clear the virus from your body. Your doctor may recommend a combination of medications taken over several weeks. Once you complete a course of treatment, your doctor will test your blood for HCV. If HCV is still present, your doctor may recommend a second round of treatment. Antiviral medications can cause depression and flu-like signs and symptoms, such as fatigue, fever and headache. Some side effects can be serious enough that treatment must be delayed or stopped in certain cases.

Answer 2

Hi, I am writing on behalf of Bristol-Myer-Squibb.

Not all people infected with the hepatitis B virus need medication. Only your health provider can decide that.

While there is no cure for chronic hepatitis B, there are medications to treat hepatitis B: Antivirals and Interferons.

Anti-virals are oral pills that keep the hepatitis B virus from replicating or making copies of itself.

Interferons work by boosting the body's immune system to fight the hepatitis B virus. They must be given as an injection. Sometimes interferon hepatitis B treatment must be given several times a week.

For more information check out HepatitisInfo.org. The site is not focused on promoting any specific drug. Rather, it's mission is drive awareness of hepatitis B and provide basic information.

Answer 3

With hepatitis, there is no single medicine. Treatment is specific to its cause, which means that your physician will choose the best therapy for you based on your diagnosis. In the case of viral hepatitis, some viruses do respond to antiviral treatment. In certain acute cases, no drug is needed. Getting the proper treatment is important because the faster your hepatitis is under control, the better your liver will be. Some types of hepatitis, such as acute viral forms like hepatitis A and sometimes hepatitis B are self-limited diseases which means that your body's immune system will eventually be able to destroy the viruses that caused the disease. Interferon is a protein made by the body's immune system that combats viruses. Its anti-viral properties make it a powerful weapon against viral hepatitis B and C. Unfortunately, this treatment is expensive and has significant side effects. Doctors often combine different antiviral drugs to better combat the virus. Sometimes hepatitis has developed into such a serious disease that a liver transplant is the only treatment left. This is a complex surgical procedure that involves replacing a failing liver with a donor liver.

Answer 4

Yes. Patients can be successfully treated with interferon compounds, as well as ribavirin, and many can enter a phase of complete remission from the disease.