About Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that leads to swelling (inflammation) of the liver. If hepatitis C becomes chronic (long-lasting), it can lead to serious health problems. These problems include cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver failure, and liver cancer.1,2 More than 3 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C, and each year about 17,000 become infected with the virus. 1

The good news is that unlike many other viral diseases, hepatitis C can often be “cured,” or cleared from the body. For this reason, it is important to see a doctor right away if you have hepatitis C or you think you may have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

How do you get hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is usually transmitted by contact with blood from someone who is infected with HCV. Some of the ways a person can become infected include.1-3

  • Injecting street drugs or sharing a needle with someone who has hepatitis C
  • Undergoing hemodialysis for kidney failure
  • Being born to a hepatitis C–infected mother
  • Accidentally getting stuck with a needle that’s been used by a person with hepatitis C
  • Having unprotected sex with someone who is infected with hepatitis C
  • Having had a blood transfusion before 1992. Since 1992, the US blood supply has been carefully screened for hepatitis C. Today, transfusion-related hepatitis C is virtually unknown2

If a person has been exposed to hepatitis C, a simple blood test can quickly and accurately tell if they have become infected.

Symptoms

Hepatitis C symptoms can appear anytime from 2 weeks to 6 months after a person has been infected with the virus. If you have been infected with hepatitis C, you may experience the following symptoms1-3:

  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Dark urine
  • Gray-colored stools
  • Joint pain
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)

You can still be sick even without symptoms

Many people with hepatitis C do not have any symptoms or even know they are infected until they are diagnosed.2 Even if a person has no symptoms, however, the virus can still be active, multiplying and causing damage in the liver. 1

Treatment

Today, a number of treatment options for Hepatitis C exist, and many people with hepatitis C are “cured” (cleared of detectable virus) every year.2

The goal of hepatitis C treatment is to achieve what is known as a “sustained virologic response” or SVR. An SVR means that for a period of 6 months after your treatment ends, a blood test cannot detect any hepatitis C virus in your body.2 Although not everyone who is treated for hepatitis C has an SVR, with some treatments, the success ratio is over 50%.2; For some people, success rates are as high as 90% or more.3

If you are being treated for hepatitis C, your healthcare provider may prescribe a combination of medications.

The most frequently used medication belongs to a class of drugs called interferons. These drugs are given by injection and have been used for over 15 years to treat hepatitis C and other diseases caused by viruses.2

Ribavirin is an oral (taken by mouth as a capsule or tablet) antiviral drug that is usually prescribed along with interferon because it increases the overall effectiveness of interferon treatment.2

A new class of drugs for treating hepatitis C has just become available. Known as “direct acting antivirals” (DAAs), they will not replace interferon and ribavirin, but will be given in combination with them. Your healthcare provider can give you more information about these drugs.

Being informed is the first step in managing hepatitis C. If you think you have hepatitis C or may have been exposed to the virus, speak with your healthcare provider, get tested, learn your options, and take action.

References:

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis C. General Information. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services; June 2011. Publication No. 21-1075.
  2. National Institutes of Health; US Department of Health and Human Services. Chronic Hepatitis C: Current Disease Management. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; 2010. NIH Publication 10-4230.
  3. National Institutes of Health. National Center for Biotechnology Information. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001329. Accessed May 11, 2011.