Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This condition is often called ”the silent killer”, as most people experience little to no symptoms during the first 20 years upon being infected.
Essentially, hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver (hepar means ”liver” in Latin, and the suffix –itis means ”inflammation”) caused by the respective virus.
According to the British National Health Service, just 1 in every 3-4 people will experience any symptoms within the first 6 months of their hepatitis C infection, and all of these symptoms are mild and non-specific:
- Fever (38C and higher)
- Fatigue
- Decreased appetite, weight loss
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- A general ”feeling of being sick”
- Yellow mucous membranes (under the eyes, inner surface of the lips) and skin can be present in about 20% of people
This stage of the disease is known as acute hepatitis C. In 20-40% of all cases, the infection clears up spontaneously during the first 6 months. If this doesn’t happen, the infection develops into chronic hepatitis C.
Common symptoms of chronic hepatitis C include:
- Constant tiredness
- Muscle and joint pain
- Itchy skin
- Jaundice (yellow mucous membranes and skin)
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Anxiety, depression, mood swings
It’s important to highlight that 15-30% of patients with chronic hepatitis C will develop liver cirrhosis in the first 30 years of infection. Liver cirrhosis is a condition in which healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, severely damaging the function of the organ. Cirrhosis eventually leads to enlarged veins (especially in the esophagus, stomach, and near the liver), increased bruising and bleeding, cognitive impairment, and a high risk of developing liver cancer (about 20-fold increase compared to patients without cirrhosis).
Drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing liver cancer by 100 times in people with hepatitis C, so it’s essential to stop drinking as soon as one is diagnosed with the condition.
Although everything said above sounds horrifying, here are some great news: proper hepatitis C treatment cures about 97% of all cases of the infection. The sooner treatment is started, the better the results and the lower the risks of developing liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Don’t hesitate to contact a infectious disease doctor you trust if you or somebody you know has been recently diagnosed with hepatitis C: their life and health depend on how soon they’ll start their treatment!
Read more: https://infectionsmanaged.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-hepatitis-c/
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