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Hepatitis C Infection Symptoms

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. There are more types of hepatitis being discovered as time goes on, but the three most common types are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis C can be acute or chronic. Many acute cases become chronic.

  1. Transmission and Risk Factors

    • The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted through blood. Some of the main risk factors of transmission are injection drug use, sexual intercourse, blood transfusions before 1992, hemodialysis and needle sticks.

    Acute Hepatitis C Symptoms

    • Acute hepatitis C often has no symptoms. Sometimes mild symptoms do appear; they include flu-like symptoms, nausea, poor appetite and abdominal pain.

    Chronic Hepatitis C Symptoms

    • Chronic hepatitis C symptoms can include jaundice, ascites and bruising from cirrhosis once it has progressed.

    Diagnosis

    • Because there are often nosymptoms or mild symptoms, diagnosis of hepatitis C often does not occur until advanced liver disease is present. Blood tests that look for HCV antibodies, which would likely indicate hepatitis C is present, are used for diagnosis; if no antibodies are present and hepatitis C is still suspected, RNA testing is performed.

    Treatment

    • A combination drug treatment of peginterferon (Pegasys or Pegintron) and Ribavirin is used to treat hepatitis C. There is no hepatitis C vaccine.

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