You’ve heard of hepatitis C, but you may not know how it’s spread or what you can do to protect yourself.
Hepatitis C is a contagious disease that affects the liver. It ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness. It results from infection with the hepatitis C virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 3.2 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Most people who have hepatitis C do not realize they are infected because they don’t look or feel sick.
These frequently asked questions cover the basics of hepatitis C.
What Is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a type of liver disease that can be acute or chronic. Acute hepatitis C lasts for six months or less, while chronic hepatitis C can last for the rest of your life.
In most cases, acute hepatitis C leads to chronic hepatitis C. But in some cases, people with acute hepatitis C clear the virus from their bodies without any treatment. Doctors aren’t exactly sure why this happens.
How Does Someone Get Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is spread by blood from one person to another. Most people get hepatitis C from sharing needles to inject drugs. Before 1992, hepatitis C was also spread through organ transplants and blood transfusions.
Less often, hepatitis C is spread through sex or sharing personal care items, such as razors or toothbrushes. Sometimes it spreads from a mother with hepatitis C to her baby during birth, though this is rare.
What Are the Symptoms?
Most people have no symptoms, so you can have the virus for many years without feeling sick. If you do have symptoms, they most often occur six to seven weeks after you’ve been exposed to the virus. But you can have symptoms from two weeks to six months after exposure. Symptoms can include:
- Bowel movements that are clay-colored or gray-colored
- Dark-colored urine
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Jaundice (yellow-colored eyes or skin)
- Joint pain
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle pain
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting
How Do I Find Out if I Have Hepatitis C?
The only way to learn if you have hepatitis C is to get tested for it. The screening test is called a hepatitis C antibody test. It’s not part of a normal checkup, so you have to ask your doctor for it.
Who Should Get Tested?
You should get tested if you:
- Are exposed to blood at your job (such as getting stuck with a needle)
- Are on hemodialysis
- Have ever injected drugs
- Have HIV or AIDS
- Have liver disease or abnormal liver tests
- Received a blood transfusion or organ donation before 1992
- Were born between 1945 and 1965
- Were born to a mother who had hepatitis C
How Long Can You Have Hepatitis C and Not Know It?
Some people have hepatitis C for decades without knowing it. But even if you don’t have symptoms, hepatitis C can still damage your liver. The longer you have it, the more likely it will cause liver damage or liver cancer. That’s why it’s important to get tested if you’re at risk.
How Serious Is Hepatitis C?
Chronic hepatitis C is a serious condition that can cause liver damage, liver failure and liver cancer. But once you know you have hepatitis C, you can take steps to help keep your liver healthy.
Are There Treatments?
Yes, the most common treatment for hepatitis C is a combination of two drugs, pegylated interferon (Pegasys, PegIntron) and ribavirin (CoPegus, Rebetol). But treatment isn’t right for everyone.
Since hepatitis C is caused by a virus, not a bacteria, antibiotics will not help to treat the disease. There are two oral treatments now available — Olysio and Sovaldi — that can be taken in combination with other medications to prevent the virus from copying itself, helping the body fight the infection.
In some cases, your doctor may watch your liver for damage before suggesting treatment.
Is There a Vaccine for Hepatitis C?
Researchers are working to develop a vaccine, but one doesn’t exist yet.
West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates has locations in Carrollton, Villa Rica and Bremen. For more information, visit westgagastro.com or call 770-214-2800.