How long can people live with hepatitis C without treatment? Life expectancy with hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral liver infection. Patients with this diagnosis are most often interested in the question, how long do they live with hepatitis C? The question arises due to the peculiarities of the pathogenesis of the disease. It is quite difficult to determine infection in the initial stages, since at first the disease does not have severe symptoms. It happens that the virus is never diagnosed, but the disease disappears thanks to immune defense body. The immune system copes with the virus on its own in 20% of cases of infection.

What is a disease?

The virus is evenly distributed throughout the planet, but the most frequent outbreaks of the disease are registered in Latin America. The first genotype of hepatitis C is common in Europe. Feature pathogenic microorganism - rapidly multiplying when entering human body, and inflammation of the liver begins.

A viral infection of the body causes an infectious disease. The causative agent of viral hepatitis C is an RNA-containing hepatotropic microorganism. It is actively transmitted during an asymptomatic period, after which destructive processes begin. Due to its asymptomatic development and course, hepatitis C is called “».

gentle killer Targeted influence pathogenic microorganisms

on liver cells, as a result of which the functions of structural particles atrophy, and the cells themselves are replaced by connective tissue. Hepatitis C has chronic and acute forms. has no special symptoms, only on the way to recovery the patient experiences a characteristic yellowness of the sclera and skin. Patients with hepatitis exhibit the following symptoms:
brown urine;
light stool;
body aches;
jaundice;
skin irritation;
nausea, vomiting;
loss of appetite;
weight loss;
low-grade fever;
sleep disturbance;
apathy;

depression.

Routes of infection

The infection enters the body of a healthy person in the following ways:

Dangerous complications and consequences

Patients with this diagnosis are at risk for the following complications:
cirrhosis of the liver;
cancerous tumor;
steatosis (deposition of fat instead of organ cells);
fibrosis (scarring of the upper tissues of the liver);
liver failure;
change in liver size;
ascites;
internal bleeding;

encephalopathy (toxic attack on the brain).

How long do they live if hepatitis C is not treated? weak immunity the disease progresses much faster.

Life expectancy in patients with hepatitis is different terms. Without treatment, you can live much shorter than with proper therapy. However, there are options for independently removing pathogenic bodies from the patient’s blood. Therefore, everything depends on the stage of the disease and the immune system of the infected person. If the disease is not treated and the immune system is weak, the disease becomes chronic, which shortens life. The duration of the asymptomatic form of the disease is 15-25 years. In the fulminant form of the disease, immediate death occurs; doctors do not have time to prescribe therapy. An infected person is dangerous to family, colleagues, and friends. Therefore, it is important to immediately begin therapy when diagnosing hepatitis C. This will help you live with hepatitis for a long time and protect your loved ones from infection.

How to live with an illness?

The prognosis for the patient's life expectancy depends on compliance with doctor's orders and a healthy lifestyle. The course of the disease varies depending on the following parameters:

Patient's age. People live longer with hepatitis C if they are infected in at a young age. It is more difficult for an older body to cope with the virus.
The body's defenses. The stronger the immune system, the less drug influence on the body. This option is better, because all medications aimed at fighting infection have negative consequences.
A healthy lifestyle will help the patient recover from the disease faster. It is generally accepted that hepatitis C is a common disease among alcoholics. But as soon as they give up alcoholic drinks, the condition improves significantly.
The stage of the disease, in the initial stages, therapy gives accelerated results.
Accompanying illnesses.

Competent therapy increases the chances of recovery, so you should consult a trusted doctor for advice, preferably with recommendations.

Everyone knows that hepatitis C is dangerous infectious disease, which has a second, truly terrible name - “gentle killer”. As a result, it is not surprising that patients, and healthy people, most often asked about the potential life expectancy of those infected.

So how many years can a person infected with hepatitis C live?

First of all, it is necessary to talk about how the virus behaves on initial stage its entry into the human body.

Immediately after infection, it begins to fight with healthy cells, but does not always emerge victorious. In 10-30% of cases, the strong immune system of the infected person neutralizes the virus so that the disease, which the person may not even suspect about, ends in non-drug self-healing. However, in the future, various provocative factors can activate the virus. In the remaining 90-70% of cases, acute infection becomes chronic.

According to World Organization healthcare, over 500 million people on the planet are infected with C, but only 6-7% of them die due to infection. Mortality from this virus occurs much more often if accompanied by others, most often cirrhosis (mortality in 57% of cases) and hepatocellular carcinoma (mortality in 43% of cases).

According to experts, by 2025 the number of patients will increase by 55% and 70%. It is assumed that total number deaths from others will exceed modern figures by almost 2 times.

No doctor can answer more specifically “how many years they live with”, since all patients have an individual course. If your disease activity is high, it begins to develop very quickly. In patients, the development of such a disease occurs 2 times faster. And if the viral one goes into, then it is almost impossible to completely cure it at this stage.

But this is not a reason to despair, if you comply and follow all the advice of your attending physician, then you can live up to 60-80 years.

Hepatitis C and a healthy lifestyle

How many years can carriers live while driving? healthy image life?

Alone, the virus itself cannot kill an infected person, but only contributes to the development of pathologies that shorten his life.

There is no specific and universal period during which the body is destroyed. In each case, this process is purely individual and depends on many factors, primarily on:

patient's age;
duration of infection;
immunity status;
maintaining a healthy lifestyle;
smoking;
timely treatment;
concomitant chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, obesity);
gender (in men, the development of consequences such as fibrosis develops faster and more often than in women).

Capable for a long time remain asymptomatic, even when transitioning to chronic stage. Thus, in 30% of those infected, the disease develops at about 50 years of age, and death occurs not from infection, but from accompanying diseases. In the same number of patients it leads to cirrhosis no earlier than after 20 years. At the same time, if you refuse, play sports, and follow medical prescriptions, the development of the disease can be significantly slowed down.

What happens with hepatitis C

As mentioned above, acute in most cases becomes chronic if its symptoms remain unnoticed in time.

However, on initial stage, before transformation, the disease manifests itself as a common acute respiratory viral infection, which is accompanied by such atypical symptoms as:

allergic reactions;
general intoxication;
slight increase in temperature;
chronic fatigue, increased fatigue;
headache;
various gastrointestinal disorders.

Since these symptoms are not always suspicious in all people, the initial stage often remains undiagnosed, and therefore the virus easily becomes chronic. With him long years(from 15 to 25 years) the disease may again not manifest itself in any way, but general state the person noticeably deteriorates. The infected person gradually weakens and develops diseases gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and genitourinary systems.

The consequences can be different, leading to diseases such as:

steatosis- accumulation of fat in liver cells
fibrosis- scarring of liver tissue
cirrhosis - irreversible changes in liver tissue

Cirrhosis of the liver- this is very serious consequence the effect of the virus on the body, causing such life-threatening complications.

The hepatitis C virus was discovered, in fact, recently - in 1989. Before this, they did not know about its existence, because the blood prepared for transfusion was not checked, just like the donors. The disease is called “serum hepatitis” - many cases of infection occurred as a result of blood transfusions.

Of course, a person who learns about the diagnosis is concerned with the question: how long do people live with hepatitis C? Is there a treatment?

Causes

According to the course, hepatitis C is classified as acute or chronic. IN acute form he is indistinguishable from others viral hepatitis, antibodies in the blood remain for about six months. May be asymptomatic, then immune reaction visible only from data laboratory research.

In more than 50% of patients it becomes chronic, while long time persists (is in the body), without manifesting itself in any way - you can live with hepatitis C without knowing about the virus. How long does the latent phase last?

Months and years – It is difficult for patients to associate the possible moment of infection with the onset of symptoms because a lot of time has passed between these events. In this case, the patient is able to infect surrounding people.

Hepatitis C is transmitted in several ways:

Immunodeficiency of any origin is always a risk factor, and coinfection (co-occurrence with HIV or hepatitis B) and rapid development of liver cirrhosis can be expected. In this case, life expectancy with hepatitis C is reduced, since the body, deprived of protection, does not resist the virus for long.

The prognosis of hepatitis C is worsened by the presence of non-infectious chronic liver diseases, as well as concomitant pathology of any other organ or system. This is especially true for subcompensated and decompensated conditions, when the immune system is weakened and the body’s reserve capabilities have been exhausted.

The virus does not meet an adequate immune response and easily takes hold in the liver.

Symptoms

How many years do people with hepatitis C live before specific symptoms? Incubation period ranges from two weeks to six months; a disease that develops during this time is regarded as acute. If the clinic appears six months later or later, the disease is considered chronic.

Hepatitis C in acute form is characterized by such symptoms as:

severe weakness, fatigue even with minor physical exertion;
lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting;
increased body temperature;
pain in the right hypochondrium;
enlarged liver (hepatomegaly);
yellowing of the skin, visible mucous membranes and sclera of the eyes;
skin itching;
darkening of urine grey colour feces

Acute hepatitis C is not fatal, but the absence of complications cannot be guaranteed if immunity is reduced or the person was seriously ill before infection. Hepatitis C can and should be fought; How long a patient lives depends largely on the characteristics of his body.

The chronic form for a long time can manifest itself only asthenovegetative syndrome: fatigue, weakness, irritability, sleep disturbance. Subsequently, body weight decreases, the patient experiences constant nausea.

Not only does the physical suffer, but also mental health: the patient is depressed, apathetic, many people experience depressive disorders varying degrees expressiveness. People live with hepatitis C without knowing about the destructive effects of the virus for a long time.

As active compensatory capabilities decrease, hepatomegaly, jaundice, spider veins on the skin, tendency to bleeding (hemorrhages). Dense fibrous nodes form in the liver tissue - cirrhosis develops.

It is accompanied by portal hypertension caused by increased pressure in the portal vein. Its components: availability serous fluid V abdominal cavity(ascites), increased pattern of saphenous veins of the anterior abdominal wall and varicose veins veins of the esophagus and stomach.

Life expectancy for hepatitis C after the development of cirrhosis is disappointing forecast, since sooner or later chronic liver failure passes into the acute stage of hepatic encephalopathy.

The liver is no longer able to remove toxins that accumulate in the intestines; Bypassing the blood-brain barrier, they penetrate the brain tissue and cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system.

Death from hepatitis C occurs with absolute decompensation of liver function.

Gastrointestinal bleeding, which develops as a result of rupture of varicose vessels, is also dangerous. If it is abundant and the damage is multiple, then the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome increases significantly.

Diagnostics

Chronic hepatitis C is dangerous not so much because of the presence of the virus, but because of the complications in the form of cirrhosis that patients live with if the disease is detected late. On early stage the virus has not yet had time to significantly damage the liver; its tissue functions sufficiently.

Early treatment reduces the viral load and improves the prognosis for life. Hepatitis C is an insidious infection and is difficult to recognize.

It is useful to carefully collect anamnesis - information that may be associated with infection. This is patient-reported information about blood transfusions, especially if they were performed before 1989, surgical interventions , contacts with patients or carriers of the virus. If the history mentions drug addiction

, suggest, in addition to other infections, hepatitis C. Treatment is selected individually; six pathogenic types of the virus are known. How long does it last, do they live? longer people taking medications? Undoubtedly, antiviral therapy may be quite effective, but even best medicines

do not cure the disease, but only suppress the activity of the pathogen.

To find out what medications a patient needs, you need to assess his condition and determine the type of virus. For this use:
General blood analysis.
ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), which detects the presence of antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. It can be used to find out how many years the disease has lasted, since you can live with the virus for varying lengths of time. It is impossible to give an exact figure, but immunoglobulins determined during diagnosis are divided into acute phase (IgM) and chronic phase indicators (IgG).
PCR (polymerase chain reaction), aimed at searching for viral RNA.
Liver biopsy in combination with histological examination a fragment of parenchyma taken, performed if cirrhosis is suspected.

When studying biochemical parameters, a warning sign is a rapid increase in the level of AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase.

These are liver enzymes that are considered markers of the inflammatory process. The amount of bilirubin also increases, and with the development of cirrhosis, total protein decreases.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to reduce the replication (multiplication) activity of the virus and increase life expectancy. Hepatitis C how chronic infection requires complex specific therapy, the following drugs are used in the regimens:

a group of interferons - proteins with pronounced antiviral properties (viferon, alfaferon);
viral RNA polymerase inhibitor (ribavirin, sofosbuvir);
protease inhibitors (simeprevir, boceprivir, telaprevir, daclatasvir).

How long does the treatment last, does hepatitis C disappear, or do patients live with the disease even if they are treated? All of these groups of medications are prescribed in courses and combined depending on the variant of the virus. The duration of therapy ranges from 16 to 72 weeks.

It is impossible to completely eliminate (eliminate) the virus, but high-quality treatment leads to the absence of viremia (the presence of the pathogen in the blood).

You can support the liver with hepatitis C by using drugs such as hepatoprotectors (B vitamins, silymarin, hepabene, Essentiale, ursodeoxycholic acid). Hepatotoxic substances should be discontinued or replaced with safe analogues.

Early treatment will help avoid the formation of cirrhosis or slow down its progression. How long can you live with hepatitis C? If you take medications regularly as prescribed by your doctor, you have a chance to achieve a controlled reduction in your viral load and improve your condition.

Except drug therapy, you need a diet - patients with hepatitis C are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol, since people who abuse alcoholic beverages do not live long with this disease.

The diet should be balanced in terms of the percentage of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, and contain vitamins. Dosages shown physical exercise, but if you are tired, it is better to rest and not overload the body.

Forecast

Since completely destroying the virus in chronic hepatitis C is still an impossible task, the prognosis even with successful treatment relatively favorable. Given the lack of clear boundaries for how long the latent phase lasts, patients live without complaints as long as the liver is able to cope with the load.

Detection of the disease at the stage of established cirrhosis and portal hypertension complicates the tasks of therapy, since the changes that occur cannot be reversed.

The prognosis worsens at this stage pregnancy due to natural suppression of immune activity, immunodeficiencies of various origins, diseases of autoimmune origin (associated with the production of antibodies against the cells of one’s own body).

Prevention

You can prevent hepatitis C infection by following these rules:

use by individual means personal hygiene (razor, Toothbrush, manicure accessories, etc.);
use only disposable or thoroughly sterilized instruments for medical and cosmetic procedures;
wearing gloves, a mask, and goggles when working with blood and other potentially infected biological material.

Women planning a pregnancy should get tested.

Children infected in utero live with hepatitis C, but it is impossible to say exactly how many years or even months will pass before cirrhosis develops. Due to unformed immunity, the disease progresses faster than in adults.

There is no vaccine against hepatitis C, but people with a confirmed diagnosis are recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, since the combined course of these diseases significantly aggravates the patient’s condition.

Chronic hepatitis B is systemic viral disease, which is characterized by liver damage and various extrahepatic manifestations. The main development factor is the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Pathology kills liver cells, forming connective tissue. Over time, the organ loses its ability to perform its functions.

How many people live with chronic hepatitis B, which, according to statistics, becomes chronic in 10% of cases? The virus usually does not manifest itself until the lesions become critical.

The essence of pathology

In terms of global distribution, chronic hepatitis is compared with HIV and tuberculosis. Pathology occurs in two types:

An inactive form of carriage, in which there are no viral particles in the blood or their quantity is small. In cases of reduced immunity, inactive carriers acquire an active course of hepatitis B.
Chronic active hepatitis is characterized by a large number of viral particles in the blood, an inflammatory process in the liver, which has a risk of developing cirrhosis and organ cancer.

Distinguish between these forms of pathology by clinical signs impossible, for this it is necessary to undergo a series of laboratory tests. Often the disease is asymptomatic, and the person may not even be aware of the infection.

How long people live with chronic hepatitis B depends on many factors:

Life expectancy of an infected person if present unfavorable factors such as drinking alcohol, narcotic drugs, promiscuity, will be short. Lifestyle should exclude all these provoking factors.
People with hepatitis who have concomitant chronic diseases, such as diabetes, HIV, have a worse prognosis.
People who follow all the instructions of their doctor and lead a healthy lifestyle live significantly longer with chronic hepatitis.

Proper therapy and strict adherence to the required restrictions increase life expectancy. According to WHO, there are currently about 240 million people in the world with chronic hepatitis B. There are no exact statistics on how many people live with chronic hepatitis.

Factors influencing the development of the disease are the level of immunity, the age of the patient, and gender. Men are more susceptible to fibrosis.

Routes of infection

Despite the fact that the hepatitis virus is highly resistant, it is not transmitted by airborne droplets. Infection occurs when it falls on a damaged skin covering, mucous membranes. Infection can occur through blood and other biological fluids: saliva, sperm, vaginal secretions. The most common route of infection is unprotected sexual contact.

Infection can occur during childbirth - from a sick mother to the child. The vast majority of infants become infected with hepatitis B during the first months of life. Infection is also possible through unsterile medical instruments, during surgery, or dental treatment.

At risk are:

doctors and medical staff;
drug addicts using unsterile syringes;
people who need frequent blood transfusions and are on dialysis;
people using the services of tattoo parlors, manicure and pedicure salons with an unverified reputation.

The incubation period can range from one month to six months. Often, the chronic form of hepatitis occurs without pronounced symptoms. Signs of a cold may be present: headaches, joint pain, chills, elevated temperature bodies.

However, nausea, dark urine, and yellow sclera of the eyes can be detected. A person may complain of pain in the right hypochondrium, loss of appetite.

Diagnostic measures and therapy

The disease is diagnosed using serological markers and detection of viral DNA in blood tests. For diagnosis, liver tissue obtained from a biopsy can be examined.

The following examinations are also carried out:

How to live long?

How to live if you are diagnosed with chronic hepatitis? First of all, you need to adhere to medical prescriptions, follow a diet,... Excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle will only worsen the course of the disease. How long a person with chronic hepatitis B will live depends on proper treatment and further way of life. In the world practice of treating the chronic form of hepatitis B, a method is used that prevents the multiplication of viruses, the development of cirrhosis, liver failure and organ oncology.

live with chronic pathology can be treated for quite a long time, but it should be remembered that this infection requires lifelong treatment. Finally getting rid of chronic hepatitis 10 patients out of 100.

With an inactive form of carriage, when there are no inflammatory processes in the liver, treatment will not be required. Patients with this form of the disease need regular blood tests to prevent complications of the disease.

To eliminate chronic hepatitis it is prescribed complex treatment, are selected depending on the form and severity of the disease. Registered antivirals groups of alpha interferons that reduce the reproduction of the virus. Interferons are currently the only agent that can influence the severity of fibrosis in the liver. Maintenance therapy includes immunostimulants and.

A diet is prescribed limiting fatty and fried foods, salty and spicy foods. Alcohol and smoking are prohibited.

Reception of various medications should be discussed with your doctor. Therapy on average can last from 6 months or more, depending on the course of the disease and concomitant pathologies. Without treatment, chronic hepatitis B leads to serious complications: cirrhosis, oncology, liver failure.

Modern medicine offers a greater chance of recovery and improved quality of life. Scientists are developing drugs that destroy the DNA of viruses in the blood and liver. People with chronic hepatitis B can live for 20 or 30 years, of course, subject to timely treatment and compliance with certain rules.

The only means of protection is vaccination. Currently, all newborns are vaccinated against hepatitis. People at risk should be vaccinated to prevent hepatitis infection and provide immunity for 10 years.

For preventive purposes, it is advisable to increase immunity by swimming, running, and hardening procedures. Must always comply basic rules personal hygiene: do not use someone else’s nail scissors, toothbrush, etc.

Although hepatitis C is not transmitted by airborne droplets, handshakes or kisses, the likelihood of contracting this viral infection For common man big enough. And for a patient who suddenly finds out about the disease, it is important to know how long they live with hepatitis.

Forms and stages of the disease

This dangerous disease can be transmitted through blood. The following categories of people are at risk of contracting the hepatitis C virus:

Any shared instruments in clinics, hairdressers, and beauty salons without proper sterilization are potentially dangerous due to the possibility of transmitting the virus.

Depending on the length of time the virus remains in the human body, hepatitis C is divided into 2 forms:

Another option for the body’s reaction to infection with a virus is its carriage. If the results are fully consistent biochemical research normal and no signs of disease, human blood contains RNA of the hepatitis virus. In this case, the disease may not manifest itself for a long time or may not manifest itself at all.

The asymptomatic course of the disease in the initial stage contributes to the fact that a person considers himself healthy, and therefore does not conduct examinations.

Meanwhile, it is at the early stage that antiviral therapy is especially effective and prevents the disease from becoming chronic. Its duration depends on the patient's condition.

The severity of the disease depends on the genotype of the virus, of which there are currently 6 known with several subtypes.

The stages of chronic hepatitis are determined by severity inflammatory processes and the prevalence of fibrosis, manifested in the proliferation connective tissue. For more late stages fibrosis provokes tissue necrosis, which unbalances the functioning of this important organ.

The final and most severe stage of the disease may be cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. The prognosis for this diagnosis is disappointing. At this stage the person may die.

The duration of each stage is determined by the individual characteristics of the person and the intensity of treatment.

How does the disease affect the patient’s life?

At the stage of cirrhosis, destruction of the liver tissue occurs, in which nodes and abnormal lobules are formed, disrupting the functions of the liver.

Progressive cirrhosis over several years leads to a number of severe consequences:

With hepatitis C, as statistics show, people can live more than 40 years and die at a very old age.

How long a person will live and what the quality of life will be largely depends on the timeliness of the treatment undertaken. If treatment is started in early dates, then a favorable outcome can be predicted, even complete recovery from the infection.

In the initial period after infection with the virus, the body begins to fight it by secreting antibodies. When active immune system up to 30% infected people manages to overcome the virus. Subsequently, the signs of the disease disappear, tests return to normal, and we can talk about self-healing. Modern drugs are also able to effectively treat and stop the development of the disease.

In most cases, without adequate treatment, the disease nevertheless becomes chronic, worsening the quality of life. The reasons for this change include a number of factors characteristic of the lives of many patients:

But also in chronic form hepatitis can be effectively treated. How many years we extend our lives is largely determined by our actions.

Do people infected with hepatitis live a full life?

How long can a person withstand the onslaught of illness? The main rule is that the disease must be treated as early as possible! This determines how many years the patient will live.

All patients in addition to treatment medications must strictly follow a diet throughout their lives. A properly selected diet helps a person maintain the general condition of the body at the proper level, slow down the development of inflammatory processes, and live as usual. A nutritionist will tell you how to eat and how many times a day.