Hepatitis C can often be treated successfully by taking medicines for several weeks.

If the infection is diagnosed in the early stages, known as acute hepatitis, treatment may not need to begin straight away.

Instead, you may have another blood test after a few months to see if your body fights off the virus.

If the infection continues for several months, known as chronic hepatitis, treatment will usually be recommended.

Your treatment plan

Treatment for chronic hepatitis C (those infected for 6 months or more) involves:

• tablets to fight the virus
• a test to see if your liver is damaged
• lifestyle changes to prevent further damage

There are 6 main strains of the virus. In the UK, the most common strains are genotype 1 and genotype 3. You can be infected with more than 1 strain.

You'll be offered the medicine most appropriate for your type of hepatitis C.

During treatment, you should have blood tests to check that your medicine is working.

If it's not, you may be advised to try another medicine. This will only affect a small number of people.

Your doctor will also assess your liver for damage (scarring), either with a blood test or a scan called a fibroscan.

At the end of your treatment, you'll have a blood test to see if the virus has been cleared and a second blood test 12 or 24 weeks after treatment has stopped.

If both tests show no sign of the virus, this means treatment has been successful.