Hepatitis C

Overview

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus or HCV. The hepatitis C virus, or HCV, causes inflammation of the liver. If the inflammation in the liver is not treated or reversed, it can become a continuing or long-term disorder, which eventually leads to chronic liver diseases. The condition of the patient can be critical and becomes fatal until the time it is diagnosed. About 75 percent of the people who develop hepatitis C eventually develop chronic liver problems. HCV is one of the major causes of acute hepatitis and chronic liver disorders such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. There is no vaccine available in medical science to prevent hepatitis C and treatment for chronic hepatitis C is quite expensive to be afforded by the majority of average population.

Types

The different types of hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, categorized depending on the type of virus that has infected the body. Hepatitis B and C are chronic forms of infection whereas hepatitis A can be treated completely. Hepatitis B and C can cause severe liver damage due to a long-term infection, but there is no such damage in hepatitis A if properly treated on time.

Symptoms

The hepatitis C virus mainly damages the liver, but there is a possibility of asymptomatic patients who do not normally experience any symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms associated with this infection are not apparent for even ten to twenty years after the initial infection. There are rare patients who may experience symptoms during the early phase of the infection, which usually occurs between five to twelve weeks following exposure to the virus. Some of these symptoms include vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, fatigue, pale stools, dark colored urine, jaundice or yellowing of the skin and pain on the right side of the abdomen.

Causes/Risk Factors

The HCV or hepatitis C Virus causes infection, which is contagious. The hepatitis C virus is a blood borne virus, which means that it is transmitted from one person to another through blood contact. Although sexual transmission of the hepatitis C virus is considered rare, semen and saliva both are capable of transmitting the virus. Mother to child transmission of the virus is quite possible. Sharing needles to inject drugs and people undergoing certain medial procedures such as dental treatments and dialysis for treating kidneys may catch infection if infected equipment is not properly sterilized.

Tests/Diagnosis

Physicians generally prescribe a blood test to confirm the presence of the hepatitis C antibody, which indicates contact with the virus. A liver function test is usually accompanied with the blood tests. Most of the hepatitis C occurrences are diagnosed to be accidental.

Treatment

There is a rare possibility of eliminating the virus spontaneously in chronic HCV carriers. The majority of patients with chronic hepatitis C will not get rid of it without treatment. Hepatitis C treatment involves taking enough rest, drinking plenty of fluids to ward off dehydration, avoiding alcohol and other medications or substances that can harm your liver during the healing process.