ABOUT THE DISEASE

Hepatitis is a viral disease which causes inflammation of the liver. There are a number of viruses that can cause inflammation in the liver, and there are at least five that preferentially infect the liver. These viruses are denoted by letters and include hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis C is caused by infection with HCV and may go undetected for months or years as symptoms may be absent or are very mild. Chronic liver disease is the main danger of hepatitis C, leading to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver failure, and liver cancer.

SYMPTOMS

Vary depending upon the stage of the disease: Acute or Chronic stage

• • Feeling very tired.
• • Loss of appetite.
• • Nausea.
• • Vomiting.
• • Abdominal pain.
• • Dark yellow urine.
• • Yellow skin and eyes i.e jaundice
• • Itching of the skin.

Between 50% to 85% of people who get HCV become "chronic carriers." They often have no symptoms, but the virus stays in their body. They may spread the virus to others and can get long-term liver disease.

Many people with chronic HCV infection remain healthy for many years. The disease is characterized by very slow progression; and after two decades of infection, only about 20 percent of those with the disease develop cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.

CAUSES

Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted by way of infected needles or blood as during blood transfusion, intravenous drug abuse.

DIAGNOSIS

- HCV viral load, AntiHCV, HCV RNA genome
- Liver function test
- Liver biopsy

TREATMENT METHODS

- Medication (peginterferon and antiviral drugs)

- Liver transplant might be recommended for patients with a liver cancer or cirrhosis

You may also like to learn about:

Hepatitis B
Cirrhosis
Jaundice
Liver failure
Abdominal pain
Vomiting