by Kate Johns

Created on: September 09, 2010

Hepatitis C is a disease caused by a virus that lives in your liver cells. This virus can cause liver inflammation, and over time become chronic hepatitis. This can become   cirrhosis of the liver and sometimes becomes liver cancer. Hepatitis is an infectious virus resulting from coming into contact with someone who has this disease. You can get it from a blood transfusion, an organ transplant, or by sharing needles to inject illegal drugs. By coming into contact with an infected person’s blood or semen, you can get Hepatitis C.

 You can also get it by sharing an infected person’s personal care items such as a toothbrush, razor, or cuticle scissors. But you can’t get it from casual contact with an infected person such as kissing, sneezing, coughing, or sharing food with them. It is a very common disease with 150 to 200 million people worldwide having Hepatitis C. The first stage of hepatitis takes place from two weeks to six months. Many people infected with Hepatitis C have no symptoms in the first few months. Some people have mild symptoms such as the following:

 Decreased appetite

 Fatigue

Abdominal pain

 Dark urine

 Itching

 Flu-like symptoms

Jaundice, (yellowing of the eyes), develops when the symptoms start to go away.

 Hepatitis C is detectable in the blood within one week after contracting it. Many people go on to develop chronic hepatitis C, without having any symptoms.  A person can commonly have this disease for many years without knowing it.  Symptoms of chronic hepatitis are:

 Fatigue

Marked weight loss

Flu-like symptoms

Muscle pain

Joint pain

Intermittent low-grade fevers

Itching

Sleep disturbances

Abdominal pain

Appetite changes

Diarrhea

Dyspepsia

Depression

Headaches

Mood swings

When hepatitis C moves to cirrhosis of the liver, it causes decreased liver function, and it causes these symptoms:

 Accumulation of fluid in the abdomen

Brushing and bleeding

Bone pain

Enlarged veins

Jaundice

Fatty stools

Mental Impairment

 If hepatitis C is suspected then the doctor will  do a blood test to see if you have the virus. Once blood tests are taken and they show hepatitis C present, you may need a liver biopsy to see if the virus has caused any scarring in the liver. A liver biopsy is done when a doctor inserts a needle between your ribs to collect a small sample of liver tissue to look at under a microscope.

 Find out in the privacy of your home by buying a  test called Home Access Hepatitis C Check kit at many drugstores. If the test shows you are infected with the virus now, or have been infected in the past; contact your doctor for treatment options.

 Decide on the best course of action that suits your needs and your lifestyle. There currently are two medications that fight infection: peginterferon, and ribavirin. These medications  work very well depending on how much of the virus is present in the liver, how much damage has already been done to it, and what type of hepatitis C you have.

 Taking care of yourself, eating healthy and exercising  will assist in your recovery.  Avoid alcohol, illegal drugs, and certain medications that can be hard on your liver. Some people don’t experience any symptoms in the beginning stages of hepatitis, while others experience flu-like symptoms that need medical attention. The earlier a person finds out, the faster they can get treatment and enjoy life to the fullest. There is no known vaccination at this time to prevent hepatitis C.

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