Hep c a blood disease or liver disease?

Just wondering if I am confused... (well, most folks don't wonder, they know I am)
However, I read a recent comment that hep c is a blood disease. I thought it was a liver disease, spread by blood to blood contact. Is it actually a disease of the blood? Have I been brainwashed into thinking it's a liver disease because it attacks our livers and not our blood?
Please clarify.
Hugs,
Confused

[EspritLibre1]

That's how it was explained to me and the way I took it... It of course, can manifest itself in other areas... such as the cryo situation and non-hodgkins lymphoma, and other 'extra'hepatic ways... that's why I'm treating... you can live a long time as I have read in the past couple of weeks with this... but we're all different and affects us in different ways and being a nonlinear disease we have not idea when it might accelerate... if ever... good to see you again, an hope you're doing okay... can barely keep my eyes open...ha ha!!

[purplecat]

I'm in Calif so I'm still up found this link

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/faq.htm#1a
This is first Q:  What is Hepatitis C?
A:Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is found in the blood of persons who have this disease. HCV is spread by contact with the blood of an infected person.

My blood serum is UND right now, why keep taking this poison? It can't be found in my blood, my doctor says we continue to try and kill the ones hiding in my liver and the one or two the blood tests can't see.  

My vote is liver disease that is spread from one person to another through our blood.

Bug, you were up too late last night so I hope you are able to sleep well tonight.  Sweet Dreams

Purple

[Forseegood]

but I thought it was a blood disease that focuses on the liver...whadaIknow...I do know it can cause mischief outside of the liver, and that blood carries it everywhere...man, I'm bumming myself out, ha ha! Good question though Bug...

[Forseegood]

wish the hep c wonks would come out and help us out! all I know is I'm nervous as a cat today...type type type...I should take a rest...you and your hubby be well...

[ladybug52]

Well that's as clear as mud to me! No wonder things smell fishy with all that muddy water! I think I'm getting tired. Tired but nobody's fool.(Most people will disagree!)
Well hope you both have a great evening there in your earlier time zone, I'm going to go read a book, nurse my cold with some cold meds and go to sleep!
Nitey nite,
Bug
PS hugs of course

[orphanedhawk]

How can you go to bed when I just got here?
  My understanding is that HCV is a virus of the blood that damages the liver, our body's filter.
Night bug, take care :)

[rosebud57]

Bug  -- today's the day!!!!!

but regarding your topic i agree with others above, it is a viral disease that is in the blood (passed that way), and eventually attacks the liver... isn't that where a lot of the immune stuff goes on? among the other func's of liver such as cleaning blood (natural cell death, vitamin storage & manufacture stuff)_ guessing here -

ohhh just threw away a biology book the other day, still time to retrieve it.
hard for me to throw anything away.

[Kalio1]

According to HR, an expert, a doctor, microbiologist and researcher (not to mention the man who invented a DNA test for it) it is a blood disease that attacks the liver. This is evidenced by the litany of "other disorders and diseases" that people with hep c can experience and the fact that it is measured in your blood serum.
It is commonly referred to as a "liver disease" but that is a misnomer and also is misleading to patients with this disease. It is not "only a liver disease" or it would only be found in your liver. It is not, it is found in your blood serum and therefore is in your entire body.
This is one reason people are left in the dark regarding the various "other illnesses" that are part of this disease, they are lead to believe it is "only" in their liver.

[ladybug52]

I'm speechless!
Really, I lost my voice with this cold! I'm still confused but thankful for all the opinions expressed. I guess it doesn't matter that I understand it completely, I just know it's something I pray we all get rid of. I use to think SVR was short for SuRVive.
I know, a little dyslexia thrown in with the confusion! Hope to 'finger-chat' with you all on the community side.
Hugs,
Bug

[shastri20032003]

Kalio :Hi Kalio!. Nice to see you post after a long time! how are you doing on yr tx? How many more weeks to go?  Take care

Confused Bug :From what I have read its a blood disease which mainly effects the liver but to be honest this confuses me too.... so that makes two of us...is it a bloody liver disease or a livery blood disease?? I think  a bloody liver disease cos it sounds more appropriate!

[EspritLibre1]

thanks for both of those posts... seems to me some people get a good bx and prob thinks,, gee, no need to get rid of this, not understanding it 'could' be doing its nasty in other ways... just my take...

[illo]

My ND years ago helped me with this question.  She said it's all over your body, being transported in the blood, but it likes the liver for reproduction.  When it reproduces, the cells explode causing the 'repair' scarring and damage.  It doesn't 'attack' the liver.  The scarring is the liver trying to repair itself.
Luckily, the liver can repair itself better than any other organ, so I guess we're lucky in a wierd sort of way once we get rid of the virus.

[jmjm530]

Complicated diseases don't carry simple and neat definitions, especially those we still don't know a whole lot about . That said, Rev's definition of hepatitis c from "Wikipedia" seems the most accurate as described by most authorities. It is a viral disease found in the blood that attacks the liver and therefore is called a liver disease. In fact, "hepatitis" by definition means inflammation of the liver, be it caused by virus or other agents.  That is not to say that hep c is *solely* a liver disease and may not have other ramfications and research is still ongoing in those areas and others.  

From Dr. Ira Jacobsen's Web Site in conjunction with New York's Rockefeller Institute: "Although much about the life cycle of the hepatitis c virus is poorly understood, scientists have pieced together a possible sequence of biological events explaining how the virus enters a liver cell, makes copies of itself and then exists to infect other cells. This process and the emerging host immune response lead to cell damage that is the hallmark of liver disease."
http://www.hepccenter.org/hepcvirus.php

From the California Pacific Medical Center web site:

"...HCV) is a virus that causes chronic inflammation of the liver and liver disease. About 4 million Americans have hepatitis C and more than 150,000 new cases develop each year..."
http://www.cpmc.org/advanced/liver/patients/topics/hepc-whatis.html

[nygirl7]

Wow - seeing Kal and Rev and JimmyJack - it felt like oldtimers week for a second there!

Hi guys - I've missed you three! I never seem to be on when you guys are.

[jmjm530]

NY:
Hi guys - I've missed you three!
----------------------------------
As an alternative, you can catch "War of the Worlds" on TNT Network next week.

All the best,

-- Jim

[elizabethanncothron10/9/63]

hey, how r u? my names elizabeth, nice 2 meet u. well i am told by my speailists, (plural), that it's both. it's a disease that gets into ur blood then attacts ur liver. or so it sure has mine. and it really sucks 2 have.

[Forseegood]

HA HA HA HA!!!!! funny.... NYgirl is always good for a positive spin, one of the reasons why the board loves her!!!!

[Kalio1]

The virus CAN be ""grown in a lab"


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003536897_hepatitis23m.html

[Kalio1]

I agree. The virus loves the blood rich liver but patients should be aware of the fact that it is a virus that is detected in our blood serum, therefore it is throughout our bodies.

So many people are misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, if they understood that it is not "a liver disease" but a whole body viral infection,and doctors explained this to them and pointed out that it is a viral disease that primarily affects the liver but it's affects are not limited to the liver, I think they'd be far better off.

Hope you are doing well.

[Kalio1]

Hope you are doing well and tx isn't too hard!

I am down to the last month of tx!

68 down, 4 to go!


take care