About Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a contagious viral disease that affects the liver. Approximately four million Americans are infected with Hepatitis C. Pamela Anderson is one well known famous person who has hepatitis C. The virus is deadly to some, but many people who have hepatitis C manage to live healthy lives.

The Facts

• Hepatitis means "inflammation of the liver." Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by a RNA virus. Hepatitis is contagious and is spread through contact with infected blood.

Risk Factors

• Certain activities put a person at a higher risk of contracting hepatitis C. Because hepatitis C is transmitted through blood, any activity that exposes a person to another persons blood puts that person at risk for contracting the virus. Drug users that share needles have the highest risk of getting hepatitis C.

  The majority of people exposed to hepatitis C have been exposed through sharing needles. Hepatitis C can be transmitted through sharing needles, tattoos, acupuncture and sharing razors. Any needle item that is shared or equipment like tattoo needles that have not been properly sterilized, carries a high risk of hepatitis contamination.

  There is also a risk of contracting hepatitis C through sexual contact and sharing toothbrushes. Menstrual blood carries the hepatitis C virus and sexual activity can cause small tears that can expose a person to minute amounts of blood that carry hepatis C.

  Sharing toothbrushes can be a risk when a patient has oral sores or cuts. Oral sores and cuts can be small and go unnoticed yet still release small amounts of hepatitis- infected blood.

  Blood transfusions are another way of contracting hepatitis C. Blood is screened for hepatitis C and other viruses before it is used in a transfusion, so exposure to the virus through transfusions is rare.

Effects

• Hepatitis C affects the liver. Some patients only have minor symptoms while other patients have major symptoms. Some people infected with the hepatitis C virus only experience minor symptoms that disappear shortly. Other people have chronic problems that last indefinitely.

  Hepatitis C can cause liver damage and liver cancer. The liver is an essential organ for life. If the liver gets damaged, death can occur.

Misconceptions

• It is not uncommon for people to think that a vaccine exists for hepatitis C. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no approved vaccine for hepatitis C at this time. The misconception of a vaccine probably stems from the fact that vaccines exist for hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

  Researchers are working on a vaccine for hepatitis C, but there is still more research and to be done before a vaccine will be available to the public.

Expert Insight

• Hepatitis C can be transmitted from a mother to her infant during childbirth. There is no known way to prevent the transmission from mother to child during childbirth at this time. Even though transmission is possible, many babies do not contract hepatitis C from their mothers. Approximately four out of every 100 children born from hepatits C- infected mothers contract the virus.
  Scientists do not believe that hepatitis C is transmitted through breast milk. Breastfeeding mothers infected with hepatitis C do need to be careful about the condition of their nipples. Cracked or bleeding nipples can expose the baby to infected blood.

Type

• There are actually seven different types of hepatitis. The seven different types are hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Hepatitis A, B, and C are the most common forms. A vaccine exists for both hepatitis A and B but does not exist for Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is generally considered the most severe form of hepatitis because of its potential to cause serious liver disease that can result in death.