In recent months I have been made very much aware of what seems to me, a large outbreak of people diagnosed with Hepatitis C, so much so that I wanted to find out more about it. I would like to share with you what my findings were, as you too may know of someone with this illness. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C was first identified in 1989; approximately 4 million people have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, which is 2% of our nation's population. With all of the recent blood donations aiding the September 11 tragedy, that number will most likely increase. At this time there is no cure for Hepatitis C. I have been asked many times, how do you get hepatitis? It can be gotten from blood to blood contact, such as body piercing, tattoos, intravenous drug use, blood transfusions or it can be passed from mother to child, just to name a few. Because it can be symptom free for many years it can be passed on to many others inadvertently. The symptoms can be many, few or none, ranging from lack of energy, elevated blood pressure, muscle pains, loss of memory, confusion, skin problems, rashes, spots, anxiety, irritability, gas, insomnia, abdominal pain, eye sight problems, sensitivity to heat or cold, dizziness, urinary problems, wounds that take a long time to heal and weight loss or gain. Many of these symptoms mimic other conditions and many doctors may not yet be familiar enough with the Hepatitis symptoms', leaving suffers undiagnosed for some time. Left untreated, Hepatitis C could eventually cause chronic liver disease, scarring of the liver, cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Our liver is the second largest organ of our body, located just under the right ribcage. It has 2 lobes that work separately of one another each with its own vein, artery, lymph and bile channels. Our liver is where nutrients are taken from the foods we have eaten. They are then converted and stored as fats, proteins, vitamins, and sugars. It balances the blood sugar into glycogen, which is needed for energy; it regulates our hormones and produces bile needed for proper digestion and the balance of cholesterol. The liver also filters toxins like pollution, radiation, household cleaners, pesticides & medications from the body. All of the body's blood is filtered through the liver before it goes back to the heart and the lungs. It takes the blood from the pancreas, stomach, intestines and spleen. This blood contains substances and residue from the foods, medications and toxins that the body has been subjected to. These substances are then processed as nutrients, fuel, or waste. The waste that is neutralized by the liver is transported to the kidneys and intestine for the body to excrete. Our liver is the only organ in our body that can repair and regenerate itself.

What can you do for yourself once you have been diagnosed with Hep. C? The first thing I would do is research, research, and research! I would look at all of my options, including drugs and herbs, their side effects and their success rate. I would look for ways to better my health through diet, exercise, meditation and life style changes. I would find a doctor that specializes in this field and gather as much information as I could about the liver and Hep. C and I would explore every option for healing putting me in control of my healing process. It's important to remember that we are all different so there is no one set cure for us all, what works for one may not work for another.

In my research of Hep. C I found are many options of therapy. There is Thymus extract that helps to boost the immune system's T-cells that are produced in the thymus gland helping to fight viral infections. There are protease inhibitors, which keep the Hepatitis C virus from duplicating itself. There is the option of a liver transplant, which I found is not really a cure because in many cases the Hepatitis C will reoccur in the new liver. There is also Interferon and Robovarin, which attack the virus, but it does not heal the liver or the other aspects of this disease. Interferon is a natural antiviral protein in the body that is secreted by specialized immune fighting cells. These proteins naturally trigger the immune system's response and "interferes" with the virus's ability to replicate itself. The pharmaceutical forms of Interferon help the body to build up its disease fighting abilities so it can kill off the Hep. C virus. This does not work in all cases; its success rate is about 40-60%. It also has side effects like fatigue, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite, jaundice, severe depression and digestive disorders to name a few. These symptoms may come and go depending on the strength of the Interferon stress on the person. * Riboviron is another drug that is now being used; alone it does not affect the viral levels in the blood, it needs to be used in conjunction with Interferon. Together they reduce the viral loads in about 60% of people using them. It too has side effects like anemia, thyroid disorders, depression, heart problems and birth defects.

I found many herbs that aid in the healing of hepatitis by boosting the immune system and triggering the body's natural production of Interferon, T-cells, antiviral cells, antibacterial cells and anti-fungal cells. These herbs are Ashwaganda, Echinacea, Astragalus, Bupleurum, Dandelion, Reishi, Turmeric, Licorice, Schizandra, and Elethuro. There are herbs that help protect, nourish and restore the liver: Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Bupleurum, Burdock, Dandelion, Licorice, Milk Thistle, Reishi, Skullcap and Yellowdock. There are herbs that aid in alleviating specific symptoms like depression: Ashwaganda, Ginseng Schizandra, pain: Milk Thistle, Reishi, Bupleurum, Skullcap and inflammation: Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Bupleurum, Burdock, Milk Thistle, Reishi, just to name a few. Nutrients are also important, vitamins B, C, E, zinc, selenium, and alpha-lipoic acid are all important for boosting the body's immune system. These also help to support the liver, decrease fatigue, boost energy, help wounds to heal, lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels. Diet also plays an important role in the health of your liver.

A diet low in saturated fat, sugar, white flour, and salt will help to reduce the labors of the liver. Proper nutrition is very important to the health of the liver. Eating better quality foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables and foods that are not processed (i.e. fast foods and frozen prepared meals) will aid the body's healing in many ways. Finding a market that has organically grown foods would be my suggestion and a great benefit to your diet. It is also important at this time to avoid drugs, alcohol and cigarettes; these can speed up the illness and cause more damage to the liver. The more we learn about how what we put into our bodies and how it affects us, the better we will be at healing ourselves.

* Be aware that too much iron could interfere with the proper effectiveness of Interferon, if there is too much iron in the blood, the liver cannot clear it out properly causing more damage.

References:
Prescription for Nutritional Healing
Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver
The Hepatitis C Help Book