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Hepatitis C Signs: How To Know If You Have Hepatitis

7th November, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Hepatitis C symptoms sometimes don’t present themselves in those who have the hepatitis C virus. In fact, 4 of every 5 individuals who have hepatitis C don’t know they’ve been infected with a potentially serious liver disease. Those who do experience hepatitis C symptoms will find they range from slight to severe.

Fatigue is generally the most common symptom of chronic hepatitis C. But those who have it may also notice any of the following indicators.

* pain and discomfort in the abdominal area
* you’ll notice that bowel movements look different, usually lighter or clay colored
* urine will also change from yellow to more like a coffee color
* the patient will feel itchy more often than usual
* the infected person will suffer more headaches than usual
* jaundice, a liver problem that makes the skin and eyes turn a shade of yellow
* 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
* hepatitis C causes vomiting in some individuals

The hepatitis C virus causes hepatitis C. This virus is also often called HCV. The hepatitis C virus is usually transmitted through an exchange of blood. Hepatitis C is not usually transmitted through sexual contact. The most common means of transmitting the hepatitis C virus in the United States is through the exchange of unclean hypodermic needles by intravenous 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.

According to recent studies, as many as one person in every thirty worldwide has been infected with the hepatitis C virus. That amounts to approximately 170 million individuals. Infection rates may be as high as 15 percent – approximately one person in six – in parts of Africa and Asia. Egypt appears to be the country with the higest iunfection rate in the world at greater than 15 percent.

If you want to avoid getting hepatitis C (and who doesn’t), you can simply follow some common sense guidelines. Just remember that hepatitis C is transmitted through the blood. If there is no exchange of blood, there will be no hepatitis C infection. If you are an intravenous drug user, never use a needle that has been used by someone else. Take care not to use the same toothbrush or razor as someone who may have hepatitis C.

If you decide to have any type of body piercing done, make sure all instruments being used are sterilized. The same goes for tattoos. Similarly, make sure anyone handling instruments washes their hands, wears latex gloves, and disinfects surfaces in the area.

Also, if you have acupuncture done, be sure the needles being used by the acupuncturist are sterilized.

If you travel a lot, there’s usually little to fear from hepatitis C. The biggest danger occurs if you need a blood transfusion. Blood screening standards in some countries are not as high as they are in others. It bears repeating that anyone traveling overseas who wishes to get a tattoo (as is often done by military personnel) or have body parts pierced, should do so with the greatest regard for sterile practices.

No reliable vaccine for preventing hepatitis C virus infections currently exists.At the moment, no vaccine for preventing hepatitis C is available. Many people have heard that there’s a hepatitis vaccine, and in fact immune globulin will help protect you against a hepatitis A infection. But it is not effective for hepatitis C.

Chronic hepatitis C is the most frequent cause of liver transplants in the United States.

Hepatitis C testing is available. Anyone who suspects they have been exposed to the virus should undergo hepatitis c testing, even if they’re not experiencing hepatitis C symptoms.

Learn more by clicking on how to recognize hepatitis C symptoms and liver problems. Neal Kennedy is a former radio and television talk show host. To read more of his articles, click on Liver Health And You.