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How Do I Recognize Hepatitis C Symptoms

4th November, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Hepatitis C symptoms appear in approximately 1 of every 5 individuals who have been infected with the hepatitis C virus. That means 80 percent of those who have hepatitis C are probably unaware of it. Hepatitis C symptoms, when they are present, range from mild to severe.

An unusual sense of fatigue is the most prominent of hepatitis C symptoms. But there are others, and they may show up in groups which would include one or more of the following.

* abdomen pain
* stools from bowel movements will look lighter, possibly with more of a clay color
* dark coffee-colored urine
* generalized itching
* headaches
* jaundice, a liver disorder that turns the skin and eyes a yellowish color
* loss of appetite
* those who have symptoms are likely to have sore and aching muscles
* many individuals who experience hepatitis C symptoms will suffer nausea
* someone with hepatitis C may experience some vomiting

The hepatitis C virus which is the cause of hepatitis C is also referred to by its initials: HCV. Typically, the virus is transmitted through an exchange of blood, not sexual contact. The most common mode of transmitting the hepatitis C virus in the United States is needle sharing by injection drug users.

Chronic hepatitis C develops in about two thirds of individuals who have an acute hepatitis infection. Chronic hepatitis C is a serious and very dangerous liver disease.

Recent research seems to indicate that approximately three percent of the people in the world have a hepatitis C infection. That accounts for about 170 million individuals. Infection rates may be as high as 15 percent – approximately one person in six – in parts of Africa and Asia. It appears Egypt leads the world with an infection rate exceeding fifteen percent.

You can avoid getting a hepatitis C infection by following some simple rules. Keep in mind that hepatitis C is transferred through the exchange of blood cells. There can be no transfer of the hepatitis C virus if no blood is exchanged. If you are an intravenous drug user, never use a needle that has been used by someone else. Make sure you don’t use the same grooming or hygiene items, like toohtbrushes or razors, as someone who may be infected with hepatitis C.

Individuals planning to get a tattoo or body piercing should ask for assurances that all instruments being used are thoroughly and properly sterilized. It’s also important for the person perfoming such procedures to wear latex gloves and keep the area clean and disinfected.

If you go to an acupuncturist, seek assurances that the needles used for the procedure are sterilized.

When you travel, there’s generally little to fear from hepatitis C. The major danger occurs if you are injured or hospitalized and need a blood transfusion, since blood screening standards in some countries may not meet minimum standards. Civilian travelers and military personnel based overseas should take special care if they get a tattoo or have cosmetic body piercing done. As is true with blood screening, many tattoo parlors and body piercing shops do not observe strict sanitation and sterilization standards.

No reliable vaccine for preventing hepatitis C virus infections currently exists.At the moment, no vaccine for preventing hepatitis C is available. A medicine known as immune globulin is an effective vaccine for hepatitis A, but it does not work for hepatitis C.

Chronic hepatitis C is the number one cause of liver transplants in the U.S.

If you think you have been exposed to the virus, you should seek medical advice and have hepatitis C testing done, even if no hepatitis C symptoms have appeared.

Learn more by clicking on hepatitis C symptoms and common liver diseases. Neal Kennedy is a retired radio and TV reporter. To read more of his articles, click on Liver Health Articles.