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MAKE AN APPOINTMENTWhat is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C (HCV) is an infection caused by a virus that targets the liver and leads to inflammation. Inflammation is swelling that happens when tissues of the body are injured or infected. It can damage your liver. This swelling and damage can affect how well your liver functions. Hepatitis can be an acute (short-term) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection. Some types of hepatitis cause only acute infections. Other types can cause both acute and chronic infections.
There are different types of hepatitis, with different causes: Viral hepatitis is the most common type. It is caused by one of several viruses -- hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E. In the United States, A, B, and C are the most common.
There are over 200,000 cases of hepatitis C in the United States per year. Hepatitis C can be a short-term illness, yet 70 to 85 percent of people who become infected have long-term, chronic infections that cause serious health problems, even death.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infection, meaning that it is spread by contact with contaminated blood or infectious bodily fluids. This can occur through sharing needles and unsterile tattoo equipment.
Other possible transmission methods include having unprotected sex with an HCV-infected person, as well as sharing a razor or toothbrush with someone with the infection. Another possible form of transmission is from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, labor, or nursing.
Some people with HCV may be asymptomatic. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), many people with hepatitis C will eventually develop chronic liver disease.
Some symptoms of hepatitis C include:
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Depression
- Jaundice or yellowing of the eyes or skin
- Fever
- Chronic fatigue
- Clay-colored stool
- Dark urine
- Joint pain
- Abdominal pain
Hepatitis C infection is treated with antiviral medications. Treatment usually runs from 8 to 24 weeks. People treated with newer medications can eradicate the virus within their system. to learn more about this condition please visit this link.
Hepatitis C Common Questions
The effects of hepatitis A, B, and C are similar. You might have:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Discomfort in your belly
- Dark urine
- Clay-colored bowel movements
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (called jaundice)
You get it by eating or drinking something that has the virus in it.
You get it when blood from someone who is infected gets into your body. For instance, you can catch it if you share needle. You can also get hepatitis B if you have sex without using a condom with someone who has got it.
If you are pregnant and you have hepatitis B, you could pass it to your child during birth.
Like hepatitis B, you get this type when the blood of someone who is infected enters your body. This can happen through sharing needles. An infected mother can also give the disease to her newborn child during birth.
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