Hepatitis C is a viral disease that becomes a chronic disease if it is not diagnosed in time and the treatment process is not started.... Having this disease causes inflammation and possible damage to the liver.... In many people, this disease is asymptomatic, and for this reason, it is very important to do a hepatitis C test for timely diagnosis of the disease.... The HCV test shows whether you have the virus or not....

This test is for people who have certain symptoms or intend to It is recommended that they are pregnant.... In addition, exposure to certain conditions can increase the risk of contracting the disease.. In this article from GCORP LLC magazine, you can learn important tips about hepatitis C testing.

Read more: How is the hepatitis A test done?

Who should use the hepatitis C test?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States recommends that all adults between the ages of 18 and 79 be screened for hepatitis C. Since this disease has no specific symptoms, a person may experience severe liver damage all at once.

Read more: What is hepatitis A?

• People who use injectable and inhaled drugs.
• People whose liver tests are abnormal.
• Children born to mothers with hepatitis C
• Health care and emergency workers who are exposed to contaminated blood and needles.. HIV
• People who have sexual partners with hepatitis C.
• People who have unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners.
• People who have hemophilia.
• People who have undergone long-term hemodialysis treatments.
• People who have had blood transfusions or organ transplants years ago.. Suspect Hepatitis C.
• Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

What is the hepatitis C test for?

Hepatitis C appears in most people without symptoms, but during this time, the disease is transmitted to other people, and on the one hand, over time, it causes severe inflammation and serious damage to the liver.. The hepatitis C test can help you identify the disease faster and suppress it.. On the other hand, this test prevents the transmission of the disease to other family members and prevents liver failure in the liver.

Read more: What is autoimmune hepatitis?

The purpose of the hepatitis C test is to determine whether a person has been infected with hepatitis C or not.... If a person is infected with the virus, the virus is found in the blood and other body fluids.... Hepatitis C usually occurs in the body in two forms, acute and chronic.

But in chronic hepatitis, the body is unable to fight the virus, and about 75-75% of people get this type of disease... Timely diagnosis of chronic hepatitis is very important to treat and prevent severe damage, which can prevent liver failure and liver cancer.

What is the hepatitis C test like?

Hepatitis C test is usually performed as a blood test.... In this test, hepatitis C antibodies and then RNA virus present in the blood are checked first.... In the following, you can learn more about the method of hepatitis C test and the interpretation of its results.

Test of anti-HCV antibodies

This is the first blood test and sometimes the only test you need to do to diagnose hepatitis C.... When the hepatitis C virus enters the blood, the body makes proteins to fight the virus.... These proteins appear about 12 weeks after infection.... The result of the test will be known after a few days or a week.

Interpretation of hepatitis c test

The interpretation of the hepatitis C antibody test is usually shown in two ways, negative and positive, which you can learn more about in the following.

Negative test result

If the result of the anti-HCV antibody test is negative, it means that there is no sign of antibodies in the body, and this indicates that you are probably not infected with this disease... But sometimes the negative result of this test may have other reasons... In other cases, in people who are infected with HIV, due to the weakness of the body system and suppression, the test result may be wrongly shown as antibodies>..

More Read: What is hepatitis?

Positive test result

When a hepatitis C test is positive, it means that you have been infected with the virus... but you should know that false positives are extremely common and statistics show that 1 in 5 people are false positive.... Hepatitis C antibody tests may misdiagnose antibodies for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases... Babies born to mothers with hepatitis C are likely to have antibodies. Hepatitis C bodies are present, but most of these babies are not infected.

In general, no test is infallible, and if you test positive for hepatitis C, you should use other tests to be sure.

Hepatitis c RNA test

This test measures the number of viral RNA particles in a patient's blood, called the viral load. The RNA test is 100 percent accurate and can detect infection weeks after exposure to the virus.

Interpretation of hepatitis c test

The result of hepatitis C RNA test usually looks negative and positive, which you can learn about the interpretation of these results below.

Negative test result

When the result of your antibody test is positive and the result of this test is negative, it means that the result of your previous test was wrong and you are not sick.. Usually, a false negative result in this test is very unlikely, but people with HIV or certain diseases should use a special RNA test called a qualitative test. In this test, even very small amounts of the virus are detected.

Read more: What is hepatitis D?

Positive test result

When the result of the hepatitis C RNA test is positive, it means that there is an active hepatitis C infection in your body.. In this situation, the doctor will use more RNA tests to monitor the disease.

After the doctor finds out that the patient has hepatitis C, more tests are done to find out the patient's condition.... The following are some additional tests after the diagnosis of hepatitis C.

Read more: Is hepatitis contagious?

• Genotype test to determine which of the 6 hepatitis C genotypes a person has...
• Liver function test by examining enzymes and proteins that usually increase 7 to 8 weeks after being infected with the virus...
• Elastography to check the stiffness of the liver
• Liver biopsy in this test. The needle is inserted into the liver and a sample of the liver is examined in the laboratory.

  The best time to get tested for hepatitis C

  Currently, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, and this disease occurs in most people without symptoms.... Therefore, early diagnosis of the disease can prevent possible risks.... If you are over 18 years old, it is better to use the hepatitis C test at least once in your life.... Testing for hepatitis C during pregnancy can also prevent the occurrence of this disease in the fetus.

  The best time to do this test is when you know you have been exposed to the virus. People who have had unprotected sex, have been in places where the disease is common, people who have tattoos, and those who have had unprotected sex should be tested for hepatitis C.

  Read more: What is hepatitis B?

  Final speech

  Hepatitis C usually does not cause specific symptoms in the patient, and this causes the disease to damage the liver after a while and cause serious problems for the patient... If you suffer from liver problems or have seen a suspicious case in the liver function test, you can contact one of the gastroenterologists at GCORP LLC right now and benefit from the gastroenterologist and video consultation online.. GCORP LLC helps you talk to the country's best professionals from anywhere in the world or book an in-office appointment.

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Do you have to fast for the hepatitis C test?

  The hepatitis C test does not require a blood sample and does not require fasting.

  Is it possible for a person to get hepatitis C more than once? There is, and therefore people who are exposed to this disease should be tested regularly.

  What is the reason for testing for hepatitis C during pregnancy?

  Usually 6 out of every 100 babies born to mothers with hepatitis C will be infected with this disease... Testing for hepatitis C during pregnancy can largely prevent contracting this disease. fetus.

  Sources: webmd, mayoclinic, test,

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