Hepatitis C is extremely dangerous and causes serious damage to the liver. Treatment of the disease is necessary. When treating a patient with Hepatitis C virus, the primary goal is to have no traces of the virus within the body twelve weeks after the patient treatment is complete ( Cherney, 2018) . Treatment approaches can either be pharmaceutical or transplant.
Pharmaceutical treatment methods
Ribavirin
The medicine works by preventing replication and spread of the viruses. It prevents replication and spread through stopping viral RNA synthesis, thereby inhibiting nucleoside processes ( Cherney, 2018) . This action leads to the treatment of Hepatitis C as the disease spreads to the body when its viruses are increasing in number. Ribavirin is administered in tablet, capsule, or solution forms. Although effective for controlling Hepatitis C, it can cause birth defects if one mother or father a child when under treatment. It can also cause sleeping difficulties, muscle pain, and affect concentration and memory ( Cherney, 2018) . Physicians, therefore, need to test for pregnancy among women and offer advice service when dealing with the disease among women.
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Direct-acting antivirals
DAA is another effective approach that can be used in the treatment of hepatitis C. it involves administering oral drugs that directly acts on the viruses. DAAs directly attack the HCV ( Adams, Holland, & Carol, 2014) . Due to their mode of action, they do not have severe effects on the systems of the body. Direct-acting antivirals, however, may cause some health defects ( Cherney, 2018) . The most common side effects of using the drugs of this category when dealing with Hepatitis C include anemia, diarrhea, nausea, headache, and fatigue. To avoid such effect, special consideration involve carefully following up on the patient’s condition after using the drug. Follow-up help in knowing whether the patient is adhering to the drug ( Adams, Holland, & Carol, 2014) . Follow-up is necessary for the vulnerable population, such as elderly individuals.
References
Adams, M. P., Holland, N., & Carol Quam Urban PhD, R. N. (2014). Pharmacology for nurses: A pathophysiologic approach . Pearson Higher Ed.
Cherney, K. (2018, May 30). Hepatitis C Medications: A Full List. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/hepatitis-c/full-medication-list#ribavirin
