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Hepatitis C Follow-up

Follow all instructions that the health care provider gives the patient. A healthy lifestyle is very important for persons with active HCV infection, especially if there is evidence of liver damage.

• Eat a varied, healthy diet, take part in some physical activity daily, and get plenty of rest.
• Drink plenty of water and other noncaffeinated fluids to stay well hydrated.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages and medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like Motrin, Aleve, Advil) that can be harmful in people with liver disease.
• If the affected individual has symptoms, avoid prolonged or vigorous physical exercise until symptoms improve.
• If symptoms worsen at any time, contact a doctor.

The better the patient takes care of themselves, the more likely it is that they will be one of the many individuals who do well with the disease.