How To Identify Signs And Symptoms Of Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C symptoms appear in only about 20 percent of individuals who have been infected with the hepatitis C virus. In other words, approximately 4 out of 5 people who have been infected with hepatitis C show no hepatitis C symptoms at all. Those who do experience hepatitis C symptoms will find they range from slight to severe.
Fatigue is the most frequently cited symptom of hepatitis C. But there are certainly others, which often appear in combinations.
* pain and discomfort in the abdominal area
* you'll notice that bowel movements look different, usually lighter or clay colored
* urine will darken and may take on more of a coffee color
* generalized itching
* headaches
* jaundice, a liver condition in which the skin and eyes look yellow
* those who have been infected with hepatitis C want to eat less often
* aching muscles are typical
* nausea is common
* hepatitis C causes vomiting in some individuals
Hepatitis C infections result from the hepatitis C virus, which is also commonly known by the initials HCV. Most of the time, an exchange of blood is needed to transmit the virus from one person to another. It is not usually transmitted through sexual contact. In the United States, hepatitis C is transmitted most often by intravenous drug users.
Chronic hepatitis C, which is a serious liver disease, develops in 2 of every 3 people who have an acute hepatitis C infection.
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. There's reason to believe as many as one in six persons has been infected with hepatitis C in some parts of Africa and Asia. In Egypt, the infection rate is the highest in the world - more than fifteen percent of the population is believed to have the hepatitis C virus.
If you want to make sure you don't get hepatitis C, all you need to do is follow some common sense guidelines. 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. Don't use illegal intravenous drugs. If you do, make sure the needle is sterile and has not been used by another user before. 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 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. 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. A medicine known as immune globulin is an effective vaccine for hepatitis A, but it does not work for hepatitis C.
Every year in the United States, more liver transplants take place because of chronic hepatitis C than for any other cause.
You can have hepatitis C testing done if you think you may have been exposed to the virus. Hepatitis C testing is a good idea even if no hepatitis C symptoms have appeared.
Fatigue is the most frequently cited symptom of hepatitis C. But there are certainly others, which often appear in combinations.
* pain and discomfort in the abdominal area
* you'll notice that bowel movements look different, usually lighter or clay colored
* urine will darken and may take on more of a coffee color
* generalized itching
* headaches
* jaundice, a liver condition in which the skin and eyes look yellow
* those who have been infected with hepatitis C want to eat less often
* aching muscles are typical
* nausea is common
* hepatitis C causes vomiting in some individuals
Hepatitis C infections result from the hepatitis C virus, which is also commonly known by the initials HCV. Most of the time, an exchange of blood is needed to transmit the virus from one person to another. It is not usually transmitted through sexual contact. In the United States, hepatitis C is transmitted most often by intravenous drug users.
Chronic hepatitis C, which is a serious liver disease, develops in 2 of every 3 people who have an acute hepatitis C infection.
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. There's reason to believe as many as one in six persons has been infected with hepatitis C in some parts of Africa and Asia. In Egypt, the infection rate is the highest in the world - more than fifteen percent of the population is believed to have the hepatitis C virus.
If you want to make sure you don't get hepatitis C, all you need to do is follow some common sense guidelines. 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. Don't use illegal intravenous drugs. If you do, make sure the needle is sterile and has not been used by another user before. 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 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. 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. A medicine known as immune globulin is an effective vaccine for hepatitis A, but it does not work for hepatitis C.
Every year in the United States, more liver transplants take place because of chronic hepatitis C than for any other cause.
You can have hepatitis C testing done if you think you may have been exposed to the virus. Hepatitis C testing is a good idea even if no hepatitis C symptoms have appeared.
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