There are plenty of reasons why you may be feeling joint and muscle pain regularly. Although this is true, many only choose to consider common options.
Things like arthritis, or simply a strenuous workout can cause these problems. Hepatitis C can go under the radar as one of the options that can cause joint and muscle pain. Hepatitis C is an infection that affects the liver.
This disease usually shows symptoms after being in the body for a long period of time. If you have Hepatitis C you may experience inflammatory joint diseases.
Wear and tear can result in osteoarthritis(OA). When the doctor is trying out if your joint pain is caused by Hepatitis C they have blood tests to determine if you actually have it.
How Hepatitis C causes Arthralgia and Arthritis
Arthralgia is joint pain that is caused where your bones meet each other. While on the other hand arthritis is inflammation of a joint that entails swelling, redness, and pain. Medication like peginterferon and ribavirin that are given to patients with Hepatitis C can also cause joint pain.
Some studies show that nearly one-third of people with Hepatitis C will have arthritis. Joint and muscle complications from Hepatitis C can also come from rheumatic complications.
This is from your immune system fighting a virus that is continuously multiplying. As a result, there will be increased inflammation in the joints and muscles.
Easing the Pain
Trying to manage Hepatitis C can be difficult due to the many side effects. Some of the treatment options have their own negative effects on the liver or can make the viral infection worse.
When battling Hepatitis C you may have severe discomfort that will make it difficult to do your normal daily activities. Seeing a rheumatologist and communicating with your doctor to manage your liver disease and hepatic symptoms can go a long way.
It will take a team of multiple types of doctors to tackle this treatment for the lowest risk. In many cases, there will be moderate experiments to figure out what will work best for a patient. Anti-tumor necrosis or anti-TNF drugs have been used successfully to help patients with their arthritis and Hepatitis C symptoms.
So far it has shown no signs of harming the liver or increasing the viral load. Another medication option is, rituximab has shown some evidence of improving symptoms.
If would like to try some home treatment options to ease the symptoms of your arthritis then heating pads, a warm bath, massages, and stretching can help.
Preventing Hepatitis C and Management
If you have sexual contact with someone who has Hepatitis C it can result in the transmission of the disease. Anything that involves exposure or contact with blood can result in the transmission.
Hepatitis C can potentially be a life-threatening disease but is very treatable. It is important to get checkups before the symptoms like joint pain come in. Although there is no specific diet plan to combat Hepatitis C there are a few things you can eat and avoid to help.
If you do happen to be struggling with symptoms, managing your diet, your weight, and alcohol intake can help reduce the symptoms. Try to exercise as much as possible, maintain a low-fat diet that's full of fibers, fruits, and vegetables.
Try to avoid fad diets and go with something that is sustainable in the long run. It will be better for your body to take on something that will last long term that won’t be abandoned. This may be a lifelong battle, but it can be made easier if properly managed.