Treating and Preventing Hepatitis

Can I prevent Hepatitis?

There are many ways to avoid getting hepatitis, including:

Vaccinations. Vaccinations exist for certain forms of hepatitis. If you feel that you may be at risk for contracting a form of hepatitis, talk to your doctor about vaccinations.

Practice safe drug use. Do not share drug paraphernalia, especially needles. However, pipes and other drug paraphernalia can also transmit the disease.

Practice safe sex. Protect yourself and your partner by using latex condoms.

Wash up. Wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and soap after going to the bathroom and before preparing food.

Travel vaccination. Make sure that you get vaccinated before traveling to another country, especially if it is a 3rd world country.

Take care around blood. If you work in the health field, or areas in which you are cleaning up blood spills. Ensure that you are properly protected and correctly and safely clean up any spills.

Can it be treated?

The treatment of hepatitis depends on which hepatitis virus is affecting you. In all cases, you should consult a doctor immediately if you think you have any form of hepatitis. Here are some treatments for the three most common forms of the hepatitis virus:

Hepatitis A

• There is no specified treatment for hepatitis A – the immune system will fight it off naturally. If symptoms become severe, hospital care will be required.
• There is a vaccine available for hepatitis A.

Hepatitis B

• A doctor will likely refer sufferers to a specialist. The specialist may take a small sample of liver tissue (a “biopsy”) – this will show how much your liver is being affected by the virus.
• Similar to hepatitis A, hepatitis B is fought off naturally by the body’s immune system.
• People with chronic hepatitis B symptoms are treated with antiviral medications, to keep the liver from being damaged by the disease.
• Hepatitis B is more threatening to younger people, which can become a chronic condition. Babies infected with hepatitis B at birth have a 25% chance of developing a life threatening liver condition.
• A vaccine is available for hepatitis B.

Hepatitis C

• Doctors/specialists will perform a liver function test and a biopsy on sufferers. These tests show how well the liver is working and how much it has been damaged.
• The antiviral drugs interferon and ribavarin are combined and used to treat hepatitis C, though the rate of sufferers whose hepatitis C is cleared up through this treatment is approximately 30% to 50%.
• If a hepatitis C sufferer has had his/her condition treated with medications, this does not mean that he/she is immune to the virus.
• Due to the high cost in both time and money for treatments and check-ups, there is a higher prevalence of hepatitis C in developing countries.
• There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C – it is vitally important to prevent yourself from getting it in the first place.

What about pain relief for the complications?

If you develop arthritis as a complication of your hepatitis, the following options can help you relieve your pain and speed your recovery.

Exercise. Exercise is a good treatment and preventative measure for most conditions. Activities such as swimming, walking, and cross-country skiing (Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates are good activities to participate in too) can help you strengthen your joints and muscles.

Cold wrap therapy. Cold compression wraps interrupt pain signals and reduce inflammation. Arthritis immobilizes your joints by inducing swelling in the surrounding tissue. The deep cold provided by cold compression wraps slows this process. Cold wraps numb the nerves to reduce the pain. In the early stages of your infection, controlling inflammation is extremely important, especially because inflammation also strains the surrounding tissue causing more pain and damage.

If you don't have a cold compression wrap for managing your arthritis pain, an important and safe treatment method is being ignored. Our MendMeShop store contains a wide selection of cold compression wraps.

Combine heat therapy. To increase blood flow and circulation, try combining heat therapy with cold compression. We offer hot packs for our wraps as well.

Physical therapy. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to do daily. Range of motion exercises reduce stiffness and help keep your joints moving. As well, a therapist can provide pain relief through movement and massage.

Ultrasound therapy. Ultrasound therapy is a great option to decrease inflammation, pain, tension and soft tissue damage experienced with arthritis. You can administer your own therapy using a portable, home ultrasound device. The treatment is easy, painless, safe, and generally requires between 5 - 10 minutes. It is based on a form of deep tissue therapy, which is generated through high frequency sound waves (that we can not hear). These waves send vibrations deep into your body and raise the temperature of your soft tissue. The waves are delivered through a hand held transducer and medicinal conductive gel that are used together in a slow, circular motion on your skin over the affected area. You may experience a slight tingling or warm sensation during the process as a result of the gel; this enhances the therapeutic effects of ultrasound (phonophoresis). You deserve specialized, professional care. Get your own ultrasound kit from MendMeShop.

Note: Ultrasound therapy may help, but talk to your doctor first.

Radiant Energy. When your joint is inflamed, it needs the blood flow to promote recovery. Since you can't work your swollen joint without excruciating pain, you need to stimulate the blood flow another way. A very effective way of doing this is with radiant energy. Radiant energy penetrates the body. As it is absorbed it stimulates blood flow and warms the inner tissue. It is perfectly safe, natural, and very effective. Our radiant energy therapy systems are medical devices registered with the FDA and Health Canada as a true therapeutic and pain relieving device. You can order a system from MendMeShop to be sent to your home today!

Do you have more questions?

We encourage you to contact our office directly with any questions you may have regarding joint pain. We will do our best to answer your questions in a thorough and courteous manner.

Feel free to email us at info@AidMyJoints.com. Emails will be answered promptly during business hours.

Alternatively, for those located within the US or Canada, you may contact us on our toll free number 1-866-237-9608. If you live outside of these countries, call our local number at 1 (705)445-3505

Our Office Hours

Monday and Tuesday 8:00am to 9:00pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Wednesday and Thursday 9:00am to 7:00pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Saturday 12:00pm to 5:00pm (Eastern Standard Time)

Please contact us for more information. Will this product be able to control my pain and inflammation? There is a great possibility it can. All you need to do is call or email.

We wish you a great day and we look forward to hearing from you.