Recently Answered Questions
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I had oral sex with a girl of unknown HIV status. Can you tell me if HCV can pass by oral sex?
Query: Hello doctor,I had oral sex with a girl of unknown HIV status. I had ruled out HIV through ELISA and VDRL after 12 weeks of exposure. It is non-reactive. I had ruled out anti-HCV (ELISA card method) after ten weeks of exposure, and the test was non-reactive. Can you tell me if HCV passed by oral sex... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern. HCV (hepatitis C virus) is transmitted by blood-to-blood contact, and a small percentage (0 to 3 %) of people acquire HCV through unprotected sexual intercourse. Although there are no cases in the published literature of HCV acquisition ... Read Full »
My hand and knuckles are paining without any trauma. Why?
Query: Hi doctor, I had an outer ear infection about three to four weeks ago. I scratched the inside of my ear with a Q-tip, and within two days it had swollen completely and shut. I went to Urgent Care and was prescribed with a 10-day course of Augmentin and ear drops. Three days after starting these medi... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. There are a couple of different possibilities here, and the most important one is arthritis due to cryoglobulinemia, which happens in people with long-standing hepatitis C history. The other possibility could be Parvovirus B19 infection. You should get tested for rheu... Read Full »
Can hepatitis C be transferred if the blood is in a dried state?
Query: Hello doctor,Can hepatitis C be transferred if the blood is in a dried state? For example, it dried on a surface and you touch it with another dry object or with dry hands. I understand if you wet the dry blood to clean it up it can transfer but I am talking in a strictly dry state. I was told it is... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. No, once it has dried, virus is not transmitted and cannot spread the disease when it comes in contact with intact skin. Also, with drying, virus gets inactivated. Even in wet state, just contact of blood with intact skin (not mucosa), unlikely to transmit the virus ... Read Full »
Query: Hello doctor, I am contacting you regarding the current horrible experience with the healthcare system. The nurse who stabbed me in the vein around seven times with a needle had an open wound on her hand and no gloves. Even when he took out the needle and applied the band-aid, he had no gloves. Wors... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Although the chances of acquiring HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) through such exposure are extremely low, definitely there is a risk. If you can revisit him, then you can ask for his testing in order to relieve your anxiety which is going to persist for weeks. T... Read Full »
Can I suffer from hepatitis C even if my hepatitis test reports are negative?
Query: Hello doctor, I recently had a complete lab test with my primary care provider in which my alanine transaminase (ALT) was 60 units per liter. My gamma globulin returned at 3.3 g/dL, and Sjogren's anti-SSA and anti-SSB levels were more than eight units per mL. The rheumatoid factor level was 34.2 IU ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I doubt you have hepatitis C because the test is negative. It is common to have Sjogren's syndrome with positive anti-SSA (Sjogren's syndrome A), anti-SSB (Sjogren's syndrome B), and rheumatoid factor (RF). It all depends on your symptoms. Do you experience dryness i... Read Full »
Can you get hepatitis C if condom tears during vaginal sex?
Query: Hi doctor, I have a question about hepatitis C. I had vaginal sex with a condom, but unfortunately, the condom was torn during the sex, and I stopped it. Is there any possibility for me to get hepatitis C in this way? (Actually, I do not know her). I have tested for HCV blood test 60 days after ex... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I want to know which test did you do to check hepatitis C? If this was a high quantitative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test and if it was negative, then you are completely safe. If it was an antibody test and was negative, then I suggest confirming with a quanti... Read Full »
My serum GGT levels are elevated despite giving up alcohol. Please help.
Query: Hello doctor, Serum GGT levels are elevated despite giving up alcohol. Even before, the frequency of drinking was maximum once in a week (90 ml). What does this imply? Please help. Read Full »
Dr. Ambalathu Veettil Hussain Shihaz
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. There are a few questions regarding your health and lifestyle that would help in finding the answers to your query. 1. Have you had any jaundice recently or ever? 2. How long have you been taking alcohol? 3. Is there anyone in the family (siblings, parents) who ha... Read Full »
I was diagnosed with hepatitis C with genotypes 1b and 2 last year. Should I continue my treatment?
Query: Hi doctor, I was diagnosed with hepatitis C last year but did not continue my treatment due to a financial crisis. However, when I did a viral load test last year, I was diagnosed with genotypes 1b and 2. Should I take treatment? Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Yes, you should get treated as it is a severe condition. DAA (direct-acting antiviral) tablets are the safest and most effective medicines for treating hepatitis C. They are highly effective at clearing the infection in more than 90 % of people, with 95 % cure rates. The ... Read Full »
I have hepatitis C and had mutual masturbation. Do I need to get PEP?
Query: Hello doctor, I am a 31-year-old male with a history of hepatitis C on Harvoni. I was with a lady doing mutual masturbation. I then placed my fingers on her tits and played with them. I then sucked her tits. I have traumatic oral lesions. My concerns that if she has HIV(Human Immunodeficiency Virus)... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. You had negligible to low-risk exposure in this scenario. Mutual masturbation and playing with tits involves no risk. I guess there was no discharge from tits. If there was no discharge, again this was a negligible risk. You had traumatic oral lesions, which was a sour... Read Full »
What does it mean if I tested positive for hepatitis C?
Query: Hello doctor,I am hepatitis C positive with IgM + IgG of 14.2. This test was conducted five years ago. What is the significance of this? I have full medical test including LFT from two months back including sonography where things were normal. Do I need to worry about this? Does it require a treatme... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. You need to get the hepatitis C quantitative assay (RNA level) done and need to get treatment depending upon that. There is no need to worry. Your other labs are fine (attachment removed to protect patient identity). But please be under the strict follow-up of a nea... Read Full »