Hepatitis C

Overview:

In general, the term hepatitis refers to inflammation or swelling of the liver. Hepatitis C is liver inflammation caused specifically by the hepatitis C virus, HCV. According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is the most common blood borne infection in the United States, chronically affecting approximately 3.2 million people. In time, it can lead to advanced liver scarring (cirrhosis), liver failure, or liver cancer.

Like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C can be classified as either acute or chronic. Most Hepatitis C patients will develop chronic HCV infection, and most will neither display nor experience symptoms during the acute phase. In the instance that symptoms do appear, they are generally mild (as they are with Hepatitis B) and do not lead to a diagnosis. A general feeling of tiredness and fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, body aches and mild fever, dark urine, itching, joint pain and then may proceed to development of jaundice as other symptoms subside.

Individuals who develop chronic Hepatitis C (an estimated 75-85% of those infected, according to the CDC) will be asymptomatic, or exhibit no symptoms. Because of this, diagnosis often comes during blood donation screening or a routine check-up many years after the disease is contracted. This can be after severe liver damage has occurred, such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Causes:

Hepatitis C is primarily contracted through repeated contact with infected blood. Intravenous drug use is still the most common cause in the United States. Anyone who received either blood transfusions or organ donation prior to 1992 (when advanced screening techniques were developed) may have contracted the disease this way. Inadvertent needle stick injuries in the health care setting and birth to an HCV-infected mother are common causes. Though much less frequent, it is possible to become infected through sex or the sharing of personal items like toothbrushes or razors with an HCV-infected partner.

Diagnosis:

Several blood tests are used to test for HCV infection, among them are several types of screening tests which search for antibodies to HCV, as well as qualitative tests to detect the presence of, absence of, or amount of the virus present in the blood. As with Hepatitis B, a positive diagnosis of Hepatitis C may warrant a liver biopsy in order to determine the presence of liver damage.

Treatment:

It is important for a specialist to evaluate and test Hepatitis C patients in order to test for chronic liver disease. The goal of any treatment for Hepatitis C is to eradicate the HCV virus from the body, stopping chronic Hepatitis C and limiting the chance of liver damage or cancer.

Many chronic Hepatitis C sufferers benefit from medical treatment with antiviral medication. Avoidance of toxic elements such as alcohol is crucial, as it is with Hepatitis B, and it is very important for Hepatitis C patients to consult their physicians prior to taking over the counter medications, vitamins, or nutritional supplements.

How Associates in Gastroenterology can help:

If you have any questions, or if you believe that you may have been exposed to Hepatitis C infected blood, please contact your health care professional or give us a call today. The physicians and staff of Associates in Gastroenterology have many years of experience diagnosing and treating a range of gastrointestinal, liver and pancreatic diseases, and we are here to help.