Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver. The article tells you all about this disease including the symptoms and early warning signs of hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis is a disease that leads to inflammation of the liver. There are three variants of hepatitis A, B, and C. hepatitis C is caused by a virus. If not treated properly, it can lead to liver damage.
Hepatitis C can occur as an acute disease or as a chronic disease that lasts for a very long time. The problem with the disease is that it is difficult to know if you have got this disease. Symptoms may take many years to develop and many people find out very late.
Causes of hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is caused by HCV, hepatitis C virus. The virus spreads from person to person mainly through infected blood. The sharing of syringes is one of the common ways the disease can spread. Those who have HIV are at higher risk of getting hepatitis C.
Early warning signs of hepatitis C
The major problem faced by those infected with hepatitis C is that symptoms may not appear for a very long time. In fact, only a quarter of those having this disease will experience symptoms. There are early warning signs of hepatitis C that can be seen in the initial few weeks of being infected.
The early warning signs can be helpful in knowing if you have hepatitis C. Many of these early signs can be due to other diseases too, making it all the more difficult to diagnose it.
The early stage of hepatitis C will have warning signs like:
- Fever with temperatures in excess of 212.72 Fahrenheit
- General malaise or feeling sick
- Tiredness and exhaustion
- Loss of appetite
- Pain or cramping in the stomach area
In many people, there may be no apparent symptoms until the liver tissue starts scarring. In others, they experience symptoms only at the end when the liver fails.
Regular health checkups involving blood tests for liver function and ultrasound scanning can help to detect liver problems early. It is important to have health checkups once a year to be safe.
Symptoms of hepatitis C
After the initial or acute phase, the disease turns chronic leading to slow damage to the liver tissue. At this stage, symptoms can be seen. These include:
- Stomach pain
- Exhaustion that doesn’t get relieved by rest
- Muscle and joint pain
- Skin rash with severe itching
- Mood swings with depression
- Memory problems (not being able to concentrate)
When cirrhosis develops, it causes symptoms like blackish stools, jaundice, easily getting bruised, easy bleeding, spider-like blood vessels on the leg, swelling of stomach and legs due to fluid retention, and weight loss.
The article presented information on the early warning signs of hepatitis C along with the symptoms and causes of this disease. We hope that this article acts as a guide on hepatitis C for those who want to know about the disease.
