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Topic Overview
What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a liver disease that is caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus. The virus lives in the liver cells and causes the liver to become inflamed. In time, hepatitis C can lead to permanent liver damage as well as cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure.
Many people do not know that they have hepatitis C until they already have some liver damage, which can take many years. Immediately after a person is infected with hepatitis C, he or she enters an early, short-term (acute) stage of the disease. Some people with acute hepatitis C fight off the virus permanently and never have liver problems. However, up to 85% of people who are infected with the virus go on to develop long-term, or chronic, hepatitis C. 1 Although hepatitis C can be a very serious disease, many people lead active, full lives by managing the disease and taking good care of themselves.
What causes hepatitis C infection?
Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus. The virus can enter your body after you have been exposed to another person's infected blood.
Hepatitis C is spread from one person's blood to another person's blood. You cannot get hepatitis C from casual contact such as hugging, kissing, sneezing, coughing, or sharing food or water.
You can get hepatitis C if you:
Share needles and other equipment used to inject illegal drugs. This is the most common way to get hepatitis C in the United States.
Had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992. Starting in 1992, all donated blood and organs are screened for hepatitis C.
Have been exposed to unsafe practices for giving shots, such as reusing needles. This occurs in some developing countries.
Rarely, a mother with hepatitis C spreads the virus to her baby at birth, or a health care worker is accidentally exposed to blood that is infected with hepatitis C.
Experts are not sure whether you can get hepatitis C through sexual contact. If there is a risk of getting the virus through sexual contact, it is very small.
What are the symptoms?
There are two forms of hepatitis C. The first form is called acute hepatitis C, which means that you have a short-term infection. The second form is called chronic hepatitis C, which means that you have a more serious, long-term infection.
Most people go on to develop chronic hepatitis C but still do not have symptoms. This makes it common for people to have hepatitis C for 15 years or longer before it is diagnosed. Many people find out that they have the virus by accident, when donating blood or having a routine physical exam.
If you do develop symptoms, they may include:
Fatigue.
Joint pain.
Belly pain.
Itchy skin.
Sore muscles.
Dark urine.
Jaundice—a condition in which the skin and the whites of the eyes look yellow.
How is hepatitis C diagnosed?
Hepatitis C is diagnosed from a review of your medical history, a physical exam, and blood tests. Often, people with hepatitis will have high levels of liver enzymes in their blood. If your doctor thinks you may have hepatitis C, he or she will talk to you about having a blood test to check for antibodies of the hepatitis C virus. If you have hepatitis C antibodies, you will also have a blood test that looks for the genetic material of the hepatitis C virus. While the antibody test indicates that you have been exposed to the virus in the past, the genetic test indicates that you are currently infected with the virus.
In most cases, a liver biopsy also is done to see whether the virus has caused scarring in your liver. During a liver biopsy, a doctor will insert a needle between your ribs to collect a small sample of liver tissue to be examined under a microscope.
Some people prefer to find out on their own whether they have been exposed to hepatitis C. You can buy a home test called a Home Access Hepatitis C Check kit, which you can find in most drugstores. If your test results show that you have been exposed to the virus in the past, it is important to discuss these results with your doctor and to find out whether you are currently infected with the virus.
How is it treated?
Hepatitis C may or may not be treated with medicines. When liver damage is mild, treatment often is not needed. Treatment also is not always an option because the medicines used to treat hepatitis C have significant side effects, and they are expensive. If you do take medicine, the best treatment is a combination of two medicines that fight infection: peginterferon and ribavirin.
How well these medicines work depends on how damaged your liver is, how much virus you have in your body, and what type of hepatitis C you have. There are six different types—called genotypes—of hepatitis C. Genotype 1 is the most common type in the United States. Types 1, 2, and 3 are found worldwide; type 4 is found throughout northern Africa; type 5 is common in South Africa; and type 6 is common in Asia. Genotype 1 is harder to treat than genotypes 2 and 3.
An important part of treatment for hepatitis C is how well you take care of yourself. You can feel better and prevent further damage to your liver by exercising and eating healthy foods, as well as by avoiding alcohol, illegal drugs, and certain medicines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learning about hepatitis C:
What is hepatitis C?
What causes hepatitis C?
Can I prevent hepatitis C?
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
What happens in hepatitis C?
What increases my risk for hepatitis C?
Who is affected by hepatitis C?
Being diagnosed:
How is hepatitis C diagnosed?
Who can diagnose hepatitis C?
What are liver tests for hepatitis C?
What is a hepatitis C antibody test?
What blood test can show whether I have active hepatitis C infection?
What is a liver biopsy?
Getting treatment:
How is hepatitis C treated?
Should I take antiviral medicines for hepatitis C?
What is combination antiviral treatment?
Ongoing concerns:
Will I need surgery?
Living with hepatitis C:
What can I do to treat hepatitis C at home?
End-of-life issues:
How can I prepare for end-of-life issues if needed?
Author: Colleen Cronin Medical Review: Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
Steven L. Flamm, MD - Gastroenterology
Last Updated: September 28, 2005
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