What is the Connection Between Hepatitis C and Diabetes? The chronic form of the hepatitis C virus has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. And people with diabetes are likely to have a more complicated course of chronic hepatitis. The most common way to get the hepatitis C virus is through exposure to infected blood.
Why is Hepatitis Serious for Diabetics?
Though hepatitis can be connected to drug and alcohol use, its most common cause in the United States is viral. Moreover, its relationship with type 2 is reciprocal. The liver disease can cause or worsen diabetes.
Your risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can be raised by diabetes, a condition in which excess fat builds up in your liver. This can occur whether or not you consume no alcohol or very little amounts. There is usually no signs or symptoms of fatty liver disease, but it can still boost your risk of developing inflammation in the liver.
Whether hepatitis C can truly lead to type 2 diabetes is a question that needs further investigation. Surely, prevention of viral disease is significant to prevent liver damage in the form of a chronic disease of the liver and liver cancer.
Human beings depend heavily on a properly functioning liver as it performs a number of essential tasks for the smooth working of the human body. The liver does not only take care of poisons in our digestion system, but it also produces immune agents that help strengthen the immune system against bacteria and germs. The liver helps in producing a protein essential for blood clotting and it also plays its part in the digestion of fats.
People with hepatitis C are prone to:
Conducting blood tests will detect the virus directly and measure how well the liver is functioning. A procedure in which a small needle is inserted into the liver to collect a tissue sample is usually performed to show the extent of the damage.
Hepatitis is known for the destruction of a number of liver cells and the presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue caused by excessive alcohol drinking, disorders of the gallbladder or pancreas, including medication side effects, and infections.
Causes of Hepatitis
When you contract one of the viruses that can cause liver inflammation, or as a result of exposure to substances that can cause hepatitis, then you can develop hepatitis. There are two ways that can lead you to hepatitis: The virus can either occur as a result of infections or from autoimmune processes.
Hepatitis can be divided into two subgroups:
Acute hepatitis:
Acute hepatitis caused by what is listed below in result of inflammation that causes damaging to the liver’s normal function and lasting less than six months. People with a weak immune system and a weak liver are more susceptible to be infected by hepatitis.
a) Hepatitis with viral infection such as hepatitis A, B, C, D, & E.
b) Inflammation of the liver caused by mild or non-life-threatening infection.
c) Inflammation of the liver caused by other bacteria.
d) Overdose in medication causing damage to liver tissues and cells such as antibiotics and anesthetics.
e) Taking too much alcohol.
Chronic hepatitis:
Chronic hepatitis is when an active or ongoing inflammation of the liver persisting for more than six months. Although chronic hepatitis is much less common than acute hepatitis, it can persist for years. In most people and in some cases, it is quite mild and does not cause significant liver damage.
It may be caused by hepatitis B and C viruses, it also can be caused by drugs and excessive alcohol drinking, and may possibly result in cirrhosis, with a spleen that can become enlarged and the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. Continued inflammation in some people slowly damages the liver, eventually resulting in severe scarring of the liver, liver failure and sometimes liver cancer.
Symptoms
1) Jaundiced
Jaundiced caused by the excision of a chemical, an orange-yellow pigment formed in the liver by the breakdown of hemoglobin called bilirubin, accumulated in the body’s tissues. When the liver is damaged by hepatitis virus, it will be unable to do its normal job and this chemical will accumulate in your blood and then begin to leak out into your body tissue resulting in yellow color in the skin, and especially around the whites of the eyes.
2) Loss of appetite
Loss of appetite is often the first symptom of acute hepatitis. This symptom lasts for a very short period of time before being replaced by nausea and vomiting.
3) Fatigue
Fatigue is incapacitating tiredness and is a big source of frustration for people with liver disease. When the liver is damaged, feelings of dangerous weakness is common.
4) Pain in the muscles and joints
This pain in the muscles and joints can last from days to weeks and are very common in acute hepatitis infection.
5) Low blood sugar
A virus may cause low blood sugar that can be triggered as a result of infection by hepatitis. You therefore need to be consistently be checking your blood glucose levels because the threat of your levels being low are always dangerously lurking. This is serious!
6) Insomnia
Insomnia is caused by liver inflammation of hepatitis virus C leading to the trouble of sleeping and waking up often during the night. Also unusually vivid, intense and frightening dreams are experienced by some people.
7) Pruritus
This is severe itching of the skin. People with hepatitis C have pruritus occasionally and they also experience itching in the palms and the soles of their feet.
8) Lymphadenopathy
Hepatitis can also possibly cause inflammation of your lymph nodes. Often time, it appears in the armpits, groin, and neck.
9) Weakness
Hepatitis C also causes a sense of weakness. Hepatitis symptoms varies from mild to severe and tends to come and go. Be aware of what your body may be telling you.
Types of Hepatitis
1) Hepatitis A (HAV)
A virus that infects liver cells and causes inflammation is what causes hepatitis A. And as a result of this inflammation, how your liver works can be affected and can cause other signs and symptoms of hepatitis A.
It causes swelling and inflammation in the liver and rather common in countries that are underdeveloped. This results in consuming food and/or drinking water that is infected by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It can be transmitted through sexual intercourse as well. Hepatitis A can be discovered by blood testing in the medical laboratory.
2) Hepatitis B (HBV)
Hepatitis B virus is a liver infection caused by a virus, most often picked up through the contact of bloods including such as body fluids, semen, and blood. One best way to prevent this is to avoid IV drug abusers who share needles or anyone who uses needles that are tainted. In addition hepatitis B may be transmitted through having sexual intercourse.
This also unfortunately includes being transferred from an expectant mother to her baby while giving birth. You can wind up with serious damage to your liver by getting an infection that is extremely serious due to inflammation. This could also possibly lead to cancer.
3) Hepatitis C (HCV)
Hepatitis C occurs if you come into contact with the blood of an infected person. Just like hepatitis B, it is spread via blood and body-fluid contacts such as blood, semen, body fluid, IV drug abusers sharing needles or someone using tainted needles. It is the most known and common form of hepatitis that is contracted through getting blood transfusions. There is now a test for it. The inflammation of the liver results in liver damage that can lead to cancer.
It also commonly leads to chronic liver inflammation and slowly damages the liver over a long period of time before leading to cirrhosis of the liver. This is when normal healthy tissue is replaced by scar tissue because of the result of the flow of blood being blocked through the liver and preventing it from working as it should.
4) Hepatitis D (HDV)
Hepatitis D, known as the hepatitis delta virus, is an infection that causes the liver to become inflamed. Only those infected with hepatitis B can get hepatitis D. Hepatitis D is also transmitted through infected needles, blood, and having sexual intercourse with someone infected with HDV which also causes inflammation.
5) Hepatitis E (HEV)
Hepatitis E is a transmitted infection that is typically self-limited and is caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). It is spread by fecal-contaminated water within endemic areas or through the consumption of uncooked or under-cooked meat. It can also be contracted through sexual intercourse causing swelling of the liver which is only temporary.
Prevention and Treatment
Hepatitis can be prevented and treated with the following;
With Foods
Freshwater algae
Freshwater algae contain high amounts of antioxidant-chlorophyll that has the power in strengthening the immune system to fight any bacteria and virus infection. In addition, freshwater algae aids in the cleansing of the building up of fat in your liver and the cleansing of toxins in your liver too.
Whole grain products
Whole grain products encourages the liver to free your body of toxins, it supports the heart and is rich in protein, B vitamins, and fiber. It also helps lower blood cholesterol, reduces tumors, strengthens the immune and treats hepatitis. Whole grains are awesome for protection.
Green vegetable juices
The fresh raw vegetable juices are vital in the nutritional treatment of hepatitis. Green vegetable juice contains high amounts of carotenoids,vitamin C, living plant enzymes, and bioflavonoids, to help digestion and vitamin K which will result in the cleansing of toxins from your liver. This in turn will help in fighting against hepatitis infection.
Legumes
Legumes contain the nutrients and good sources of water-soluble fibers that your body needs to produce and activate the dozens of enzymes involved in the various phases of detoxification.
Cold water fish
Cold water fish contain high amounts of essential fatty acids that help to support the detoxification pathways in the liver and they break down toxic chemicals and toxins from the bloodstream.
A healthy liver filter will keep your bloodstream clean and free of dangerous toxins and microorganisms. The regular use of a liver tonic such as essential fatty acids supports the repair of liver cells.
Others include:
- Supplements like vitamin C. vitamin E. vitamin B, Selenium etc.
- Chinese herbs like Milk thistle. Dan Shen Danshen, Lycii, Chinese licorice, natural schisandra
- Common Sense Approaches like reduced intake of saturated and trans fats, avoid intake of processed foods, limit alcohol drinking, drink a lot of green and yellow juices, quit smoking, limit intake of sugar etc.
Final Thoughts
So you are now aware of the connection between Hepatitis C and Diabetes. Hepatitis or type 2 diabetes for that matter are diseases that you obviously do not want. But there are ways to prevent both that should be exercised because hepatitis C is a risk factor for diabetes. You need to be proactive when it comes to these diseases!
Check Out Below the Best Way
to Lower Your Blood Sugar Fast!
Please share on social media below and forward this to others who need help and please leave any questions or comments you may have below. I would love to interact with you. Thank you for reading and I appreciate it!
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A family member was recently diagnosed with Hepatitis C and I have been trying to research to better understand.
It’s cool that whole grain products actually help. She has a Whole Foods next to her house so I can swing by there and pick up a lot of cool foods based on your list.
Will also be getting her to see the “way to lower her blood sugar fast” that you have on the bottom of your post.
Hi Barry,
It’s a shame when someone gets diagnosed with a disease.
Sometimes it’s easier than others. Whole grains can certainly help and hepatitis C and diabetes are not diseases to be taken lightly.
The more knowledge you have about something the bette off you are and maybe this can help your family member.
The blood sugar supplement at the end of the article is Glucocil and it really works!
Thank you for your thoughts! I really do appreciate it Barry!
Hi,
I am glad you wrote about how hepatitis C and diabetes exasperated each other. This is an informative article. I like that you also include alternative medicines, as I am an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist. Eating foods and supplements, along with prescribed medicine, can be helpful in keeping inflammation low in the body.
TaN
Hi TaN, 🙂
Neither hepatitis C or diabetes is something that’s pleasant to deal with.
But there is the possibility that hepatitis can cause diabetes. It’s vital to be aware of this.
Keeping inflammation in check is so important. I’m sure as an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist, you know all about what helps hepatitis and diabetes as well.
It’s knowing but taking action that’s crucial to controlling either situation.
Thank you for sharing! All the best to you 🙂
This topic hits home for me. I have hepatitis A which I was told that it was caused from a childhood illness that I had. The doctor told me that a lot of people have that form of hepatitis and don’t even know it. But thankfully its not a severe case like if you have C or diabetes. I have known a lot of people that have diabetes and it can be managed with the right diet and exercise. Thanks for bringing this topic to peoples attention
Hey Cory,
Sorry to hear that you have hepatitis A. It’s never good to have any disease no matter what it is.
But hepatitis C and diabetes are both nasty. We all need to know everything there is to know about both and do the best we can to fight back.
Thankfully with type 2 diabetes, it can be controlled through diet and exercise most of them time.
But it’s all about being healthy. Nothing else matters.
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Lots of good information, here. Thanks for sharing all of it. I received an education.
For example, I wasn’t aware of the possible Hep C / Diabetes connection (I see that it’s not confirmed yet, but one that deserves consideration). Nor had I heard of Hep D or Hep E. (I think, when describing the latter, when you said “facially contaminated water,” you may have meant “fecal-contaminated water,” which can be very dangerous in a variety of ways, with the microbes that it carries, such as amebas, cryptosporidium, giardia, and fecal coliform–all nasty stuff that put a strain on our systems).
You’ve given me plenty of food for thought, as I’m now thinking of the foods that I eat and how they can hinder or improve my health. Thanks again for the post.
Hey Kevin 🙂
Thanks! You don’t hear so much about hepatitis C as you do about diabetes because it’s becoming too well known and out of hand.
A lot of folks may not know that hepatitis C can possibly cause diabetes which is why I wanted to point it out.
Hepatitis in any form is of a concern. And thanks for the heads up. Something went wrong with the spell check and I did correct it to fecal-contaminated.
It’s all about the basics of healthy eating and exercising. A change up of foods is a great start!
I appreciate your comments. Thank you 🙂
Hi Rob,
Awesome article, I really enjoyed the reading!
My father was infected by the Hepatitis C in 1986 when he hospitalized. Many people at that time got infected because the hospital didn’t check the blood. This happened in Belgium and in Germany. He was sick for about 15 years without developing any diabetes hilliness but led to liver cancer. Anyway, I didn’t know that Hepatitis C could lead to diabetes, good to know. Thank you! I was just wondering, do you know if it’s possible to cure Hepatitis C today? I know that a few years ago, there wasn’t anything to do about it.
Thank you for this excellent post!
Hi Daniella 🙂
Sorry to hear about your father being infected. It’s a shame that it led to liver cancer.
But hepatitis C can lead to diabetes unfortunately. It doesn’t necessarily mean it will but it could.
The Hepatitis C virus is considered “cured” if the virus is not detected in your blood when measured with a blood test 3 months after treatment is completed. This is called a sustained virologic response (SVR) and data suggest that you will stay virus free indefinitely.
This is according to” liverfoundation.org
I hope this answers your question.
I appreciate your thoughts! Thank you 🙂