Hepatitis C is a viral infection that damages the liver and is usually contracted through contact with infected blood. Tests can determine if an individual has the virus, the severity of the infection, the viral subtype, and if the liver has been damaged.
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes the liver to become inflamed and, over time, scarred or even stop functioning properly. It is caused by the hepatitis C virus and is usually contracted through contact with the blood of an infected person. There are several tests for hepatitis C. Some are used to determine if an individual has the virus. Once a preliminary diagnosis of hepatitis C has been made, a doctor can do tests to determine the severity of the infection and the exact type of infection, and to find out if the liver has been damaged.
Before doing any other hepatitis C tests, a doctor usually does a basic blood test to determine whether an individual has been infected with the virus. During this test, a blood sample is studied for the presence of antibodies that have developed in response to the hepatitis C virus. If these antibodies are present, the individual being tested has been exposed to the virus at some point in their life. life. Because hepatitis C often has no symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage, this basic test is often done only after an infected individual has suffered extensive liver damage.
Some hepatitis C tests are used to determine the severity of an infection. During these tests, a doctor measures how much of the genetic material that makes up the hepatitis C virus is present in a blood sample. Large amounts of this genetic material usually indicate an active infection and can prompt your doctor to initiate aggressive treatment tactics.
There are six distinct subtypes of the hepatitis C virus. Some hepatitis C tests can help doctors determine exactly which viral subtype an individual has been infected with. Generally, this process involves taking a blood sample and then studying the genetic makeup of the hepatitis C virus found within it. Understanding the viral subtype can help a doctor choose the most suitable course of treatment.
Finally, some hepatitis C tests are done to find out if the infected person’s liver has been damaged by the virus. Some of these tests involve studying a blood sample to determine if it contains materials that are normally cleared from the bloodstream by the liver. Other tests may involve biopsy of the liver or using a needle to take a sample of tissue from the organ. This tissue sample is then studied for evidence of scarring and accumulation of fatty substances.
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