Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C, sometimes referred to as hep C or HCV, is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus.
Hepatitis is commonly described as either an acute or chronic illness. An acute illness means a short, sharp illness that may be severe, but most people recover within a few weeks with no lasting effects. A chronic illness is one that lasts a long time, possibly for the rest of a person's life.
Hepatitis C remains chronic in most, but it affects people quite differently. Many have no symptoms and are often unaware they have the virus. Symptoms, when present, can be vague. Some people experience extreme tiredness and feel unwell. A few have a short flu-like illness, occasionally with nausea, vomiting and jaundice, but this is unusual.
- Mild to severe fatigue.
- Anxiety.
- Weight loss.
- Loss of appetite.
- Alcohol intolerance.
- Pain in the area of the liver.
- Concentration problems (‘brain fog’).
- Feeling sick.
- Flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, night sweats and headaches.
- Jaundice.
Some of the symptoms may come and go and it has not been unusual for people to be diagnosed as having ME, or chronic fatigue syndrome.
The liver is a very uncomplaining organ and most people do not know that it is not working properly until advanced disease has developed. Approximately 20% of infected people get better completely; it is not known why some people are successful at fighting off the infection. The rest remain infected, which means in these people the liver stays inflamed. Many will have mild inflammation only, which may never develop further. Others will go on to get cirrhosis some 20, 30 or even 40 years after being infected.
Chronic hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is described as chronic when the infection lasts longer than six months. The liver remains inflamed and, over time, the inflammation damages the liver cells. The damage may be serious for some people, but for others it causes no problems. Unfortunately, the degree of liver injury bears little relationship to the severity of the symptoms. In most cases the infection will not be apparent for a long time. Doctors cannot predict who will or who will not go on to develop serious liver disease.
For further information about Hepatitis and your liver, visit the website of the British Liver Trust