Hepatitis C infection can just be transmitted through blood transfer. However exposure to small quantities of blood suffices to cause infection.
There is no vaccine to avoid hepatitis C infection. Here are some actions you can take to help avoid ending up being infected with liver disease C.
How to Avoid Hepatitis C Infection
Never share needles. Intravenous drug users are at biggest risk of becoming infected with liver disease C since many share needles. In addition to needles, the infection may exist in other equipment used with illicit drugs. Even sharing a straw or dollar bill when snorting drug might result in hepatitis C transmission.
Bleeding in the nasal passages regularly takes place when taking cocaine in this manner, and microscopic beads might get in the straw and be handed down to the next user, even if they cannot be seen.
Prevent direct exposure to blood or blood products. If you are a medical worker or health care provider, take preventive measures to avoid entering into direct contact with blood. Any tools that draw blood in the work environment should be discarded securely or decontaminated properly to avoid hepatitis C infection.
Do not share personal care items. Many products that we use daily will occasionally be exposed to blood. Often individuals will cut themselves while shaving, or their gums will bleed while brushing their teeth.
Even small amounts of blood can potentially infect someone, so it is essential not to share products such as toothbrushes, razors, nail and hair clippers, and scissors. If you are already infected with hepatitis C, ensure you keep your personal products, such as razors and tooth brushes, separate and out of reach from children.
Practice safe sex. It is uncommon for hepatitis C to be transmitted through sexual relations, however there is higher risk of getting liver disease C if you have a sexually sent disease, HIV or if you take part in rough sex.
How Hepatitis C is Not Spread
Liver disease C is not known to spread by casual contact, kissing, hugging, breastfeeding, sharing eating utensils, coughing, or sneezing. If a mommy has liver disease C and her nipples are broken and bleeding, she should briefly stop nursing till her nipples have healed. Then she can resume nursing.
Securing the Blood Supply
One of the main problems with avoiding liver disease C transmission is that most people who are infected do not display symptoms initially. Lots of just learn when they have a blood test for an unassociated factor. Till reasonably recently, this frequently resulted in infected blood and organs being used in transfusions and transplants.
As of July 1992, all blood and organ donations are screened for the hepatitis C virus. Although not perfect, just about 1 in 2 million blood transfusions may transfer liver disease C. Anyone who got a blood transfusion or organ contribution prior to July 1992 ought to be evaluated for the infection.
Since 1987, all blood products for the treatment of hemophilia are treated to remove contagious infections, such as liver disease C and HIV. If you took any blood products prior to 1987, nevertheless, you ought to be evaluated for hepatitis C.
Preventing Hepatitis C Transmission
If you have actually just been identified with hepatitis C, you may worry about passing on the virus to a loved one. If you’ve had the disease for a very long time without understanding it, you may harp on every little occurrence in the past where you might have inadvertently exposed a family member to the disease.
It’s essential to bear in mind that hepatitis C isn’t really simple to capture. If you take a few safety measures, it’s almost difficult to hand down the disease to someone else.
Liver disease C is spread just through exposure to an infected person’s blood. It can not be spread through:
- coughing
- sneezing
- hugging
- kissing
- breastfeeding (unless nipples are cracked or bleeding).
- sharing utensils or glasses.
- sharing food and water.
As you can see, everyday contact is not dangerous. The transmission rate between people in a family is probably simply a little above no.
However, hepatitis C can be spread out through blood. So follow these common safety measures:
- Do not share razors, tooth brushes, nail clippers, or anything else that might have your blood on it. Cover any open wounds or sores with plasters.
- Thoroughly get rid of tampons, sanitary napkins, tissues, used bandages, and anything else that might have your blood on it.
- If you’re using injected street drugs, enter into a treatment program. At the minimum, don’t share needles or equipment with anybody else.
- Do not contribute blood, organs, tissue, or semen.
What About Sex With Hepatitis C?
Liver disease C can spread through sexual relations, however it’s unusual. And it’s exceptionally rare amongst monogamous couples.
In truth, the CDC thinks about the risk of sexual transmission in between couples so low that it does not even suggest using prophylactics. Also, there’s no proof that liver disease C is spread out by foreplay.
Using prophylactics will not just secure your partners from liver disease C but also will safeguard you from other dangerous illness, such as HIV and hepatitis B.
Can I Pass Hepatitis C to My Baby?
It is possible for a pregnant mom to spread out the virus to her baby, however the risk is low. The CDC thinks the transmission rate from mother to child has to do with 5%. The virus is spread at birth, and there’s no chance to reduce the risk.
There is no proof that regular breastfeeding presents a risk. Nevertheless, if a mother’s nipples are broken or bleeding, her child might conceivably become infected from her blood.
While the odds of handing down the liver disease C infection are low, you should still inform anyone at risk that you have hepatitis C. You need to inform sexual partner and family members. Your infection might be tough to go over, however anybody at prospective risk need to understand. That method, they can get evaluated and treated if required.
Good luck! Have a nice weekend!
