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Hepatitis C
PrintHepatitis C
What is hepatitis C?
Is there a cure for hepatitis C?
How many people are infected with hepatitis C?
Who is at risk for hepatitis C?
How is hepatitis C spread?
How can the spread of hepatitis C be prevented?
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
What are the complications of hepatitis C?
How is hepatitis C diagnosed?
How is hepatitis C treated?
What medications are used to treat hepatitis C?
What are other ways to manage and recover from hepatitis C?
Are there any special concerns for pregnant women with hepatitis C?
What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a virus that causes the swelling of the liver. It is the most common liver disease. The disease progresses very slowly and may take between 20 and 30 years before causing serious liver damage. Chronic hepatitis C refers to infections that do not clear up within six months after an acute infection.
Is there a cure for hepatitis C?
Doctors prefer not to use the word "cure," but if treatment is successful, it is felt that health risks from hepatitis C can be reduced dramatically. With successful treatment, the virus goes from always being present to never being present in the blood. Treatment also can make people feel better and may prevent future liver problems.
How many people are infected with hepatitis C?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 4.1 million people in the United States have been infected with hepatitis C, 3.2 million of whom have a chronic infection. Most people with chronic hepatitis C have yet to be diagnosed.
The CDC estimates that roughly 19,000 people are newly infected with hepatitis C each year. Although medications are available to treat hepatitis C, only 15 percent to 25 percent of people clear the infection from their bodies completely.
The remaining individuals become chronically infected. Of those with a chronic infection, 70 percent develop chronic liver disease, which may progress to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver cancer or liver failure. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, hepatitis C causes between an estimated 10,000 and 12,000 deaths in the United States each year. Less than 3 percent of those infected with hepatitis C die from the disease.
Who is at risk for hepatitis C?
Those at risk for contracting hepatitis C include:
- Anyone who has had a blood transfusion prior to 1992 or has received clotting factors produced before 1987
- Injection drug users
- Hemodialysis patients
- Those with multiple sex partners or those or a diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease
- Those who have sexual contact with an infected person
- Healthcare professionals exposed to blood or bodily fluids at work
- Infants born to mothers infected with hepatitis C
- Those who receive tattoos or body piercing with unsterile instruments
How is hepatitis C spread?
Hepatitis C is spread through direct contact with contaminated blood and can be contracted in any of the following ways:
- Sharing contaminated injection needles and other tools for illegal drug use
- Having a body piercing, acupuncture or tattoo done with tools that were not cleaned after use on someone with hepatitis C
- Getting accidentally stuck with a contaminated needle (healthcare workers can become infected this way)
- Having sex with an infected person without using a condom
- Sharing a toothbrush or razor with an infected person
Like hepatitis B, hepatitis C can be passed from an infected mother to her newborn infant. However, unlike hepatitis B, hepatitis C cannot be passed from an infected mother to her infant through breastfeeding.
Hepatitis C is not spread through kissing, hugging or casual contact.
How can the spread of hepatitis C be prevented?
Unlike hepatitis A and B, there are no vaccines to prevent hepatitis C. Preventive measures include screening blood, organ and tissue donors, as well as changing risky behaviors and taking precautions when exposed to blood and bodily fluids.
The following precautions will also help prevent the spread of the virus:
- Practice safer sex using latex condoms.
- Do not share anything that could have an infected person’s blood on it (e.g., toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers or body-piercing instruments).
- Do not share drug needles, cocaine straws or other tools for illegal drug use.
- Cover all sores and rashes and do not touch them or allow anyone else to touch them.
- Clean up any blood spills with detergent and a 10 percent solution of household bleach.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
Because hepatitis C can infect a person many years before it’s discovered, it is often called a silent disease. Most people infected with hepatitis C do not have symptoms and are able to lead a normal life. If symptoms are present, they may be very mild, and can include the following:
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
- Abdominal pain
Other symptoms might include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), loss of appetite, dark urine and intermittent (off and on) nausea and vomiting.
What are the complications of hepatitis C?
In some people, a chronic hepatitis C infection silently attacks the liver over several years. Eventually, this can lead to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver failure or liver cancer.
Those with chronic hepatitis C infection should avoid alcohol, as it may cause additional damage to the liver and interfere with prescribed hepatitis C medications. Combining medications (prescribed, over-the-counter or herbal) with alcohol should also be avoided.
Cirrhosis can cause serious problems, ranging from severe fatigue and difficulty thinking clearly to ascites, a fluid build-up in the stomach area that cause quick and noticeable weight gain. In some cases, severe damage to the liver can make a liver transplant necessary.
How is hepatitis C diagnosed?
Hepatitis C infection can be diagnosed with a blood test, but the virus can’t be detected in the blood until two to eight weeks after a person becomes infected. Blood tests can show whether you have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus at some time in your life, or if the virus is active in your body at the time of the test.
Blood tests can also show whether you have a chronic, or long-term, hepatitis C infection, which may mean you could develop health problems as a result of the virus.
Not all hepatitis C viruses are the same. The different types are called genotypes, which can be determined by a blood test. About three out of four people in the United States who have hepatitis C are infected with genotype 1. Most of the others have genotype 2 or 3. Each genotype requires a different length of treatment, as some respond better to treatment than others.
How is hepatitis C treated?
Hepatitis C medications work by removing, or clearing, the hepatitis C virus from your body, reducing it to levels that can no longer be detected in your blood.
What medications are used to treat hepatitis C?
Interferon is an immune-boosting drug that works by protecting healthy liver cells and preventing the hepatitis C virus from multiplying. Pegylated interferon is a form of interferon that stays active in the body for a longer period of time than standard interferon. Ribavirin is an antiviral medication that prevents the hepatitis C virus from multiplying.
Ribavirin alone does not treat hepatitis C. It must be combined with interferon to be effective. Taking these two medications together is called combination therapy, which is the recommended treatment for hepatitis C. Some people will take only interferon, which is called monotherapy.
Hepatitis C treatment usually lasts about six to 12 months, depending on the type of hepatitis C virus and the person’s response to treatment. It is recommended that people with genotype 2 or genotype 3 receive treatment for six months, while people with genotype 1 receive treatment for 12 months.
What are other ways to manage and recover from hepatitis C?
It’s important to try to maintain your regular activities as much as possible. Exercise, follow a well-balanced diet and keep a positive attitude. Avoid overwhelming tasks and learn how to pace yourself. Rest when you feel tired, and plan physically exhausting tasks for the morning or a time when you have the most energy.
If your doctor has suggested you receive treatment now, it means that you have a good chance of responding to medication. It also means your doctor trusts you to take your medication as directed. Taking your medications as prescribed is extremely important to your recovery. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in managing your medications and any side effects.
Are there any special concerns for pregnant women with hepatitis C?
There is a 4 percent risk an infected mother will transmit hepatitis C to her baby during birth. There is no treatment to prevent this. However, most babies infected with hepatitis C at birth have no symptoms and do not have liver problems during childhood. It is unknown if they are affected by the virus as they grow older.
Ribavirin can cause severe birth defects. Women who are pregnant or could become pregnant and their male partners should not take ribavirin. Women and men who are taking ribavirin must use two forms of reliable birth control during treatment while taking the medication and for six months after they finish taking ribavirin. Women taking ribavirin must not breastfeed.
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Information provided here does not constitute professional medical advice. Although it is intended to be accurate, neither Walgreen Co., its subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any other party assumes liability for loss or damage due to reliance on this material. If you have a medical question, consult your medical professional.