Hepatitis C is a disease of your liver caused by the hepatitis C virus, or HCV.
Hepatitis CHepatitis C is a disease of your liver caused by the hepatitis C virus, or HCV.Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. Located under your right rib cage, your liver has many important jobs.It cleans harmful chemicals from your blood, helps you fight infections, and breaks down your food. It also stores nutrients, vitamins, and energy.If your liver gets infected by HCV, it becomes inflamed. Inflammation is your body's response to an injury or infection. Inflammation from HCV will keep your liver from doing its job correctly.Causes of hepatitis CYou can get hepatitis C from contact with another person's infected blood. Things like needles or syringes can spread the virus if they are used by an infected person and then shared with others.HCV is one of the most common viruses that affect the liver.Certain things can raise your risk for hepatitis C. Some examples are:You were born in the U.S. between 1945 and 1965You inject or used to inject or snort street drugsYou got blood products or organs before they were screened for HCV, this includes getting blood transfusions or organ transplants before 1992, or blood clotting factors before 1987, You have current or past sex partners infected with HCV, You are or have been incarcerated, or You were born to a mother infected with HCV. Talk with your healthcare provider about other risks that may affect you. Also talk with your provider about getting tested for hepatitis C, if you think you may have it.SymptomsSymptoms of HCV infection usually appear two weeks to six months after the virus gets in your body, but most people don't have any symptoms.If you do have symptoms, they may include:Fever, Muscle or joint pain, Being very tired, Upset stomach, nausea, or vomiting, Stomach or abdominal pain, No desire to eat, Dark-colored urine, Gray-colored bowel movements, and Yellowed eyes or skin, a condition called jaundice. If you get hepatitis C, there's a good chance you will develop liver disease called chronic hepatitis C, but the symptoms of chronic hepatitis C usually don't show up for 10 or more years after you are infected.People who have hepatitis C and drink too much alcohol or have HIV may develop problems with chronic hepatitis C sooner than people with just HCV infection alone.If chronic hepatitis C isn't found or treated, you can get scarring of the liver, a condition called cirrhosis. You can also get liver failure and cancer of the liver.And chronic hepatitis C can cause abnormal bleeding, swelling in your belly and legs, and spider-like blood vessels on your skin called angiomas.DiagnosisYour healthcare provider may test you for hepatitis C based on your symptoms or your health history.To find out for sure if you have hepatitis C, you will need to have two different blood tests. The first blood test for hepatitis C measures proteins called antibodies. Your body makes antibodies against HCV if you're exposed to it. If the antibody test shows that you have been exposed to HCV, you will need a second blood test.This test is called an RNA, or viral load test. It checks for HCV in your blood stream.Chronic hepatitis C means that HCV has been in your blood for more than six months. You may need more tests to see if the infection is harming your liver. If you have chronic hepatitis C, you should also be tested for HIV.TreatmentIf you have chronic hepatitis C, it's important to get treatment to help to prevent more serious problems like scarring of the liver, liver cancer, and liver failure.Hepatitis C infection is treated with medicines you take by mouth. These medicines can cure most people of hepatitis C and they have few side effects.Before treatment, your healthcare provider will talk with you about your specific medicines. You will need to take the medicine for eight to 12 weeks, or sometimes longer. Your healthcare provider will monitor you during the treatment to see how well the medicine is working. You will need to get blood tests during and after treatment.PreventionHere are some ways to lower your risk of getting hepatitis C.Don't inject or snort street drugs. If you do, talk with your healthcare provider about trying to stop. If you can't stop, don't ever share your needles or works with anyone else.Always practice safe sex. Use a condom or other latex barrier every time you have sex. Using condoms also lowers your chances of getting sexually transmitted infections.Don't use anyone else's razor, toothbrush, or other personal care items.What you can doMany people who have hepatitis C don't have symptoms and don't know they are infected. They might develop liver damage and pass the infection to someone else.It's important to get treatment for hepatitis C early to prevent liver damage.Remember that it can take 10 or more years after being infected to start having symptoms of chronic hepatitis C.Talk with your healthcare provider about getting tested for hepatitis C.What we have learnedYou get the hepatitis C virus by having contact with an infected person's blood. True or false?The answer is true. Things like needles or syringes can spread the virus if they are used by an infected person and then shared with others.Hepatitis C can cause a long-lasting liver disease called chronic hepatitis C. True or false?The answer is true. Symptoms of chronic hepatitis C usually don't show up for 10 or more years after you are infected.The most common treatment for hepatitis C is a blood transfusion. True or false?The answer is false. The most common treatment for hepatitis C is medicine taken by mouth.
Date Last Reviewed: 03/01/2020
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