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Hepatitis C Stool Symptoms

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver that can be acute (short and severe) or chronic (over a long time). The infection is transmitted by blood contact, including blood found on needles, tattooing equipment, or a razor or toothbrush that was used by an infected person. Hepatitis C may have several symptoms, two of which relate to the appearance and texture of your stool.

  1. Disease Awareness

    • It is possible to have hepatitis C for years before it is noticed or diagnosed, because symptoms are not always present.

    Symptoms

    • A person infected with hepatitis C may experience two noticeable changes in bowel movements: diarrhea and very pale-colored stool.

    Cause and Effects

    • The diarrhea and pale-colored stool will result because your digestive system is unable to properly process food and eliminate waste while the liver is infected and inflamed.

    Additional Symptoms

    • Hepatitis C can also cause additional digestive symptoms--including dark-colored urine, stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.

    Warning Signs

    • Non-digestive symptoms of hepatitis C include flu-like chills, fever and a yellow appearance to your skin and the whites of your eyes (known as jaundice.)

    Diagnosis and Treatment

    • Hepatitis C is diagnosed by a blood test, but it is not a test that is included in routine physicals. Antiviral medicines can cure the infection for about 40 to 80 percent of patients.

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