Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C can damage the liver; if left untreated, it can sometimes be potentially life-threatening and cause damage to the liver over the years. With modern-day treatments, it’s often possible to cure the infection, and most people will lead a normal life expectancy.
Hepatitis C symptoms
The infection often doesn’t come with noticeable symptoms until the liver is significantly damaged, so people have hepatitis C without realizing it. When the symptoms do occur, they include:
- Flu-like signs, like high temperature and muscle aches.
- Tiredness.
- Loss of appetite.
- Stomach ache.
- Sickness.
Since these symptoms are common for various conditions, getting tested is the only way to figure out hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C causes
The infection is often spread through blood-to-blood contact; the other ways include:
- Sharing unsterilised needles during drug injections.
- Sharing toothbrushes or toothbrushes.
- When a pregnant woman has hepatitis C, they can transfer it to the unborn.
- Unprotected intercourse (in rare instances).
Hepatitis C treatments
Hepatitis C is treatable with medicines that can stop the virus from spreading inside the body, usually taking several weeks. Currently, there are tablets to treat hepatitis C. Hepatitis C medicines can make the treatment easier to tolerate and more effective. Often, these medicines have shorter treatment courses. With the help of medications, more than 90% of people have fully recovered. Still, it’s crucial to be aware of the infections and to take precautionary steps to reduce the risk of developing them again.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 23 JUNE 2022