Chronic liver disease is a leading cause of death for many African Americans. Black men are especially suffering at staggering rates. Seventy percent of our men are more likely to have liver disease than any other race while our sisters are 1.4 times more likely to die from liver cancer than the rest of their counterparts. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, the cause of these alarming numbers aren’t explicitly known, but factors such as alcoholism, obesity and exposure to the hepatitis C virus contribute to this disease.
Hepatitis C causes severe problems to the liver. The symptoms can be so subtle that people won’t even know they have it. Scary, right? Most people will think the fatigue is coming from some other area such as being overworked, general sleepiness or stress. A closer look at one’s blood will reveal this debilitating disease. The virus is spread by blood coming in contact with another person who is not infected.
In the past, the virus was spread widely by blood transfusion and organ transplants. Current medical screenings have improved to eliminate the possibility of this happening. The virus is now spread mostly from intravenous drug use and babies being infected in the womb by a mother with the virus.
While the uninsured rates of African Americans are decreasing, the issue of coverage still looms for one of our greatest illnesses. Hepatitis C is often not treated for patients with less severe forms of the virus. This lack of concern is contributing to the growing problem of liver cancer and death in the Black community. Treatment for this disease is very expensive and Medicaid/Medicare often doesn’t treat patients if they’re not “debilitated” by the virus. To date, there is no cure for hepatitis C.
You May Also Like
Here are some ways to fight fatigue brought on by hepatitis C if your insurance company is tripping.
Regular Exercise
I know this initially sounds silly. Why would I work out to get more energy? According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise and physical activity delivers the necessary oxygen and nutrients to your cardiovascular system. As the lungs and heart work better, so will your energy. Try something small out first. A light walk is a good way to start off. Figure out what distance works for you. Who knows, you might be jogging and eventually running as your energy increases.
Sleep Schedule
You May Also Like
A lot of us because of work, kids and staying up late to watch the Golden State Warriors game that comes on at 9 pm, will mess up our sleep schedules without even knowing it. Developing a consistent sleep schedule will help your body develop a better way to use it’s energy. Hepatitis C robs the body of the necessary energy for regular activities. Your energy will be on a rollercoaster. One way to regulate it is to go to bed at a consistent time and waking up at a consistent time.
Yoga
As a newfound advocate of yoga, I can attest to how powerful the practice can be for energy. You’ll spend a lot of physical energy practicing yoga, but you’ll leave with triple the mental energy to conquer anything. The say everything’s mental, and yoga is essentially the exercise of the mind through physical and spiritual practices. Try it out and you’ll immediately notice how much energy you have to do EVERYTHING.
Hydrate
Drink water. The body needs to flush out all the toxins and water is the great equalizer. Water will help keep those gritty, grimy things out of your system which will make your insides feel great. When you’re fully hydrated, eating the right foods and exercising, energy will be available readily. DO NOT consume alcohol at all if you’re infected with hepatitis C. The liver will not be able to handle processing alcohol of any kind at any amount. Simple and plain. Alcohol robs you of energy and your life.
Dieting
It seems that dieting and exercise are always grouped together. A diet rich in high-fiber grain cereals helps to release glucose into the bloodstream which translates to more energy. You mean all I have to do is eat a delicious bowl of cereal to get back the pep in my step? Sign me up! Fruits and vegetables by the bunches will give you all of the vitamins and minerals that you need to keep going. Experts also recommend eating smaller portions. Smaller portions will help to ensure that you have energy throughout the day instead of in one big block of time.
How Can I Get Covered Though???
“Debilitating” means that “you’re struggling to do regular activities.” Regular activities like walking, standing up, carrying small amounts of weight are a few things that qualify as regular activities. If you can’t do the simplest of tasks and you’re constantly feeling drained or unable to complete these tasks without mass amounts of energy required, you need to keep a detailed account and speak with your doctor regularly. A regular record of you not being able to complete tasks will make a viable case to the insurance company that this is something that MUST BE COVERED.
