Hepatitis C is, strictly speaking, an inflammation of the liver. More specifically, it is an inflammation of the liver caused by the Hepatitis C virus, one of the five different variants of the Hepatitis virus. Today there are a number of Hep C Trials Orlando at Avail Clinical Research that can help you.

Hep C is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. One transmission channel is intravenous drug use (shared needles), while others include improperly sterilized medical and tattoo instruments, and accidental “needle sticks” sustained while administering emergency first aid. Transmission through sexual intercourse is now thought to be very, very rare.

Hepatitis C can be asymptomatic in the early stages of infection, which, unfortunately, is the optimal time to effect a cure. If detected and treated in its acute phase (within six months of infection), the cure rate is around 90 percent. Chronic Hep C typically progressively damages the liver, from fibrosis through cirrhosis, and sometimes culminating in liver failure.

Hep C is currently treated with a combination of Pegylated interferon-alpha-2a or Pegylated interferon-alpha-2b and ribavirin for at least six months. Treatment is very rigorous due to adverse drug reactions, which can range from flu-like symptoms to heart problems. The length of the treatment takes a psychological toll and it is often recommended that patients under treatment seek counseling. Unsurprisingly, many patients abandon Hep C treatment before its suggested conclusion.

Hep C is a very serious disease, and the medical community expects the number of Hep C cases identified to rise substantially in the very near future. But you can help. If you happen to suffer from Hepatitis C and live in Florida and are interested in participating in one of our new Hep C treatment trials, please give us a call at 386.310.1334, or find more information by typing “Hep C Trials Orlando” into your search engine.