Hepatitis C Symptoms and Complications

Liver is one of the most crucial organ of human body. Failure of this organ leads to death with no other option left except liver transplantation . You must be knowing that too much consumption of alcohol damage liver. But there is other common cause of liver malfunctioning and it is Hepatitis. Hepatitis means inflammation of liver. Hepa (Greek word) means liver and itis  means inflammation .

There are almost 200 million hepatitis cases all around the globe out of which 130 million cases are of Hepatitis C. Isn’t it shocking ? No ?

Well the following sentence is more shocking : About 3/4 i.e. 75% of hepatitis suffering people don’t know about it . They are completely unknown of the deadly disease they are going through.

Hepatitis C : The Most Viral Hepatitis

Hepatitis C commonly, referred as Hep C is basically a type of liver infection which is caused by a virus. That virus attacks liver and leads to inflammation , it is given name as HCV(Hepatitis C Virus) .

There are almost 3.2 million cases of Hep C in USA and 1 million in India.

Key Points:

1. It Spreads very easily .
2. It requires medical diagnosis.
3. Cannot be detected without lab tests or imaging.
4. Don’t spread through food , water or by casual contact.
5. Treated with antiviral medications.

Symptoms

1. Yellowing of eyes and skin (Jaundice)
2. Fatigue
3. Nausea
4. Loss of Appetite

How Hepatitis C Spreads?

• Through Blood Products
• Having Sex with an HIV infected person
• Having Rough Sex
• From mother to baby during the Pregnancy stage
• Through Sharing drugs and needles

Hepatitis C Symptoms and Complications

Hepatitis C symptoms are not observed at the onset of the disease in about 80 percent of the cases. This is the main reason why suffers find about the infection only after irreversible complications have occurred. The incubation period lasts from 15 days to 6 months. The first symptoms are hard to discern and resemble those of the normal cold. So, they are not paid attention to, and the disease passes into its chronic stage.

Hepatitis C symptoms include:

• Fatigue;
• Joint and muscle pain;
• Nausea with vomiting;
• Loss of appetite;
• Jaundice;

Chronic Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is cured in about 20 – 30 percent of the cases, but in the rest of patients, the condition progresses to its chronic stage. No symptoms of the chronic disease may be present, or they might be difficult to discern.

Some chronic hepatitis C symptoms include:

• General weakness, fatigue when exercising, pain in the right hypochondrium and the joints;
• Loss of appetite;
• Anxiety and depression, rapid mood swings, and inability to concentrate;
• Sleep problems – feeling exhausted after full night’s sleep;
• Jaundice;
• Nausea and vomiting

A combination of some of the symptoms may be present. However, experiencing one or more of the symptoms does not automatically suggest that one has acute or chronic hepatitis C. Very often, there are periods of remission and recurrence and even complete disappearance of the symptoms. So, before one realizes it, severе complications may develop.

Hepatitis C Symptoms and Bodily Functioning

Keep in mind that hepatitis is a serious disease that destroys liver cells. As a result, it is detrimental to its proper functioning. The whole organism suffers, not only the liver, with possible malfunctioning of all organs and systems.

With liver playing а central role in metabolism, the latter is seriously affected. The processing of three major nutrients – carbohydrates, fats and proteins – is more difficult to carry out.

The neutralization of most harmful substances and drugs is also affected. That’s why, the side effects of medications appear quite often in people who suffer from chronic hepatitis.

The work of the heart is made more difficult, and persons with heart problems are more affected by hepatitis. The kidneys of some patients with chronic hepatitis cease to function. After the liver functioning turns back to normal, the kidneys’ condition improves as well.

Complications of Hepatitis C

The most common complications related to hepatitis C are liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver deficiency. With liver cirrhosis, the normal liver tissue is replaced by connective tissue, changing the structure of the organ. Its normal functioning is affected, with common symptoms being: feeling of exhaustion, loss of weight and loss of appetite, pain in the liver area, small red dots in the chest area, etc. Liver cirrhosis is a very serious disease as the condition is irreversible.

Liver cancer is most often caused by the uncontrolled division of liver cells. Due to the rapid progression of the disease, it cannot be treated in most cases. The reasons for liver cancer are many: smoking, radiation, viral infections (e.g. HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human papillomavirus, etc.), together with hereditary and other factors. Symptoms of liver cancer are: pain in the right hypochondrium, weight loss, and progression of an existing liver disease. The first symptoms of cancer may occur if metastases are present, but then the prognosis is usually poor.

Liver deficiency or failure is the final stage of the progression of liver diseases. This condition poses high risk for the lives of patients and requires emergent lifesaving medical care. Liver failure is the failure of the liver to carry out its functions.

Given the serious complications, hepatitis C symptoms should not be ignored. Consult your doctor if any signs of the disease are present.