Find out if you can exercise and exercise if you have a liver condition like Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a serious condition that can damage the liver. In addition, the disease negatively affects other organs. If you are wondering if sports and physical activity are possible with hepatitis C, then the answer largely depends on your condition. When there is no extreme fatigue and pain, then moderate physical activity can even be beneficial. However, it is worthwhile to understand everything in more detail.
What is Hepatitis C?
It is hepatitis C that is the most difficult form of this disease. Under certain conditions, the disease can cause the development of cirrhosis of the liver. To avoid this, it is necessary to remember the main reasons for the development of the disease. Hepatitis C and B viruses are most often transmitted through blood. Moreover, a person does not find out about the disease immediately, but after a few weeks. Sometimes the first symptoms may appear after a few months.
The initial diagnosis of the disease can be difficult and the disease will turn into a chronic form in a short time. In such a situation, the risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver is quite high. Quite often, a person is a carrier of the virus, and the disease itself is asymptomatic. Among the features of the disease, it should be noted:
- The virus immediately enters the liver through the blood.
- During the disease, not only the liver suffers, but also other systems of the body.
- The virus constantly mutates and it is very difficult for the immune system to synthesize antibodies.
- In the acute form of the disease, only 15 percent of patients recover.
- Intrauterine infection of the fetus is possible, although such cases are rare.
Reasons for the development of hepatitis C
The main cause of infection is contact with the carrier of the virus. However, doctors in about 25 percent of cases fail to establish the true cause of the development of the disease. As we have already said, the virus most often enters the body through the blood. You can get hepatitis C in the following situations:
- With a blood transfusion containing the virus.
- Reuse of disposable syringes.
- Use of non-sterilized medical instruments.
- Use of other people's hygiene items.
- In rare cases, the disease can be transmitted through insect bites.
Sexual intercourse, when the partners did not use a condom, and the mucous membranes of the genitals were damaged, can also become a possible source of infection. However, this happens extremely rarely, although the probability exists. We can say for sure that infection is impossible with kissing, shaking hands, coughing or sneezing. If the oral mucosa is not damaged, then you can even eat from the same dish with the patient. It should be recognized that, despite all modern diagnostic tools, sometimes infection is possible through blood transfusions or internal organ transplants.
The most common cause of infection is contact with contaminated blood. This is possible among health workers or relatives of the patient. However, it should be recalled that hepatitis is not transmitted by airborne droplets. If you avoid contact with blood, then even living together under the same roof will ensure that you will not be infected.
There are several main factors that increase the risk of infection:
- The use of narcotic drugs - it is drug addicts who are primarily at risk.
- Excessive hobby for tattoo or piercing.
- Work in medical institutions involving contact with blood.
- Violation of precautions when living with a patient.
- Diseases in which blood transfusion is necessary.
- The presence of a virus in the body during pregnancy endangers the baby.
How can hepatitis C be cured?
As we have already said, due to the constant mutation of the virus, it is extremely difficult for the body to fight the disease. Thus, drug therapy is indispensable. Today they continue to actively use the drug "Interferon", but the method of its use has changed significantly. Since alpha-interferon caused a large number of side effects, today it is used in combination with ribaviron.
It should also be said that pegylated interferon alfa is currently being used. With such improvements in the treatment of hepatitis C, the number of recovering patients has increased dramatically. In previous years, their number did not exceed 15 percent. Today, about 40 percent of patients are cured.
However, to overcome the disease, a person must strictly follow the doctor's recommendations. The average course of treatment is 48 weeks. The maximum effectiveness of drug treatment is observed in patients with the 2nd and 3rd genotypes of the virus. In such a situation, the course of treatment is only 24 weeks, and the probability of complete recovery reaches 95 percent. The specific treatment regimen is prescribed by the doctor in accordance with the viral load and genotype. It is also necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the patient in order to avoid serious side effects.
Is it possible to play sports with hepatitis C?
To begin with, hepatitis can disrupt lipid metabolism and the body cannot efficiently break down fats. Most often, with this ailment, the gallbladder is also affected, which can lead to the development of pathologies such as cholelithiasis. The affected liver is not able to withstand high loads and instead of processing fats from food, it simply sends them to adipose tissues. To avoid obesity, it is necessary to constantly empty the glycogen depot, and for this you should play sports.
One of the main enemies of our immune system is physical inactivity. Moderate exercise and physical activity with hepatitis C can improve the functioning of the immune system. Particular attention should be paid to those exercises that promote maximum oxygenation of the blood. Regular exercise accelerates blood flow to the abdomen. This, in turn, improves the quality of oxygen supply to the liver and normalizes the motor function of the biliary tract.
Do not forget about the positive effect of physical activity on the work of the digestive tract. We also note the improvement in the patient's emotional state, because the diagnosis given to him does not inspire great optimism. Let's also remember the social factor, because training with friends can be very effective for a complete recovery.
You probably noticed that during the conversation you constantly focused on moderate sports and physical activity with hepatitis C. This is not without reason, because with such a diagnosis, professional training is out of the question. Excessive loads will only aggravate the situation and can cause the development of hepatitis necrosis and the appearance of bleeding.
Also remember that physical activity is stressful for the body. Moreover, most of the drugs used to treat the disease, for example, interferon, are already a powerful stress factor. Only light exercise that is enjoyable and does not cause excessive fatigue is possible with hepatitis C.
What kinds of sports can you do with hepatitis C?
Only the right approach to organizing sports and physical activity with hepatitis C can bring a positive result. This applies to many aspects, for example, warm-up. Many healthy athletes ignore this element of the training process. If you did not exercise at all prior to diagnosis, you should be especially careful. In order not to harm the body, you should adhere to the following rules:
- You need to eat about 60 minutes before the start of the training. In this case, the serving size should not exceed 150 grams. If you have a slow metabolism, then you should eat an hour and a half before the start of the class.
- For the first three weeks, you should limit yourself to general strengthening exercises, for example, swimming, an exercise bike, or simple walking. Train for a long time, but with moderate intensity. As soon as discomfort or pain appears, it is best to stop the exercise.
- If in training you perform movements that involve a large number of muscles, then after completing the set, you must perform breathing exercises.
- Do not drink sugar-laden water during your workout. You can use chilled tea and rosehip decoction.
- Don't eat a lot of food immediately after class. Wait about half an hour and only then can you start your meal. Remember not to overeat with hepatitis C at any time.
- After 30 days, when your body gets stronger, you can begin to gradually increase the load. For example, dumbbell exercises can be added to walking.
- After another 14 days, you can already start visiting the fitness center. However, you should not immediately start doing bodybuilding.
If we talk about what sports and physical activity are appropriate for hepatitis C, then these are team games, swimming, cycling, skating, walking or water aerobics.
Safety rules during sports with hepatitis C
You must remember that doing any sport can cause injury. In order not to harm yourself and the people around you, you must observe some restrictions:
- First of all, you need to change your nutritional program. Forget about fast food, fatty foods, pickles and alcohol. Use a split meal system and do not overeat before starting your workout.
- Hiking or jogging in the fresh air is beneficial for the body. However, beware of heat and open sunlight. In such conditions, a relapse of the disease may occur. Try to have classes in the evening or in the morning in the summer.
- With an exacerbation of the disease or the transition of the disease into a chronic form, any intense physical activity is categorically contraindicated. In such a situation, you cannot lift more than 10 kilos, bend over, strain your abdominal muscles. At the same time, moderate physical activity is useful at any stage of the development of hepatitis C. After completing a workout, experts recommend resting in a prone position with knee joints bent.
- Professional athletes with hepatitis C need to exercise the utmost care. A large number of factors can have a negative effect on the body. If you want to continue using sports pharmacology, then use only injectables. However, we recommend that you abandon AAS.
More information about sports for hepatitis C in this video:
