Why hepatitis C is dangerous and how to recognize it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Up to 90% of those who fall ill get rid of this deadly infection. The main thing is to have time to start treatment.

Hepatitis C is one of the most insidious diseases. It is not in vain that they call him "an affectionate killer": often he does not manifest himself for years or even decades. And when it makes itself felt, it is already too late.

According to the WHO Hepatitis C, more than 70 million people worldwide suffer from hepatitis C. Up to 400 thousand die from this infection and the complications associated with it every year.

What is hepatitis C and how dangerous it is

Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by one of the hepatitis infections - the type C virus. There are other types, but they are not as insidious as this one.

In most cases, the C-virus is transmitted through blood. Moreover, infection can occur quite routinely. For example, when you get a manicure, piercing or a fashionable tattoo with instruments that are poorly sterilized after a previous client.

Nothing special happens after such manipulations. The virus invades the liver almost imperceptibly. Because of this, about half of Hepatitis C. Symptoms and causes people with chronic hepatitis C are unaware of it. Meanwhile, the disease is progressing.

Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver cancer.

According to Hepatitis C Questions and Answers for the Public of the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in people with chronic hepatitis C:

• chronic disorders in the liver will develop, the risk of this is 60–70%;
• there will be cirrhosis of the liver (usually this happens 20-30 years after infection), the risk is 10-20%;
• liver failure will develop, the risk is 3–6%;
• liver cancer will be detected, the risk is 1–5%.

A little honey in this ointment: about 15-25% of the sick heal by themselves. Sometimes they didn't even know that they were infected at all. Doctors call this phenomenon spontaneous viral clearance and still do not fully understand its causes.

However, it is impossible to predict which group you will fall into - those who unexpectedly recovered, or those who have developed cirrhosis, and even worse. Therefore, it is better not to joke with hepatitis C.

How to recognize hepatitis C

The disease has two phases: acute and chronic. The first begins 1–6 months after infection and lasts 2–12 weeks. And here the insidiousness of the virus makes itself felt.

In the majority of Hepatitis C (up to 80% of those infected), the acute phase is almost asymptomatic.

More precisely, there may be signs. But they often resemble a common ailment that can be easily confused with a cold or seasonal fatigue.

How to recognize the acute phase of hepatitis C

The most common signs of Hepatitis C Symptoms and Early Warning Signs are:

• Heaviness in the abdomen. Usually on the right side, under the ribs.
• Yellow or light-colored feces.
• Dark colored urine.
• Fatigue, tiredness.
• Regular nausea. Sometimes to vomiting.
• Decreased appetite. This is often due to the feeling of fullness in the stomach even after a small portion.
• Pain in muscles and joints. Like the flu.
• Temperature increase. Sometimes insignificant, up to subfebrile level.
• Slight yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.

These symptoms do not necessarily all appear together. Plus, they can literally last a matter of days. If this time coincides with the period of another illness - the same ARVI, the signs of hepatitis C will generally go unnoticed. Then the acute phase will end and the next one will begin - the chronic one.

How to recognize the chronic phase of hepatitis C

It lasts for years and even decades, until the liver damage becomes so large that it manifests itself vividly. Recognizing hepatitis C at this stage is even more difficult than at acute. But still, if you are attentive to yourself, it is possible.

In addition to the above symptoms, these signs may appear:

• Easy bruising. The blood clotting factors (the so-called substances that provide this property) are produced in the liver. If it does not function properly, clotting worsens.
• Bleeding. The slightest scratches can ooze for a long time. The reason is the same as above.
• Itching and rash of unknown origin. Any part of the body can be affected, but the back, chest, shoulders and arms are more commonly affected.
• Increased swelling in the legs.
• Unreasonable, at first glance, weight loss.
• Spider angiomas. This is the name for the accumulations of blood vessels that appear under the skin, diverging from one point like a cobweb.

If you notice at least two or three of these symptoms in yourself, this is an unambiguous signal - you need to check.

What to do if you suspect hepatitis C

The first thing to do is see a therapist. He will listen to your complaints and, if he decides that they are motivated, will provide direction for a number of studies. Most likely, they will include a blood test - the so-called "liver tests" and for antibodies to hepatitis viruses, as well as ultrasound of the abdominal organs.

If your suspicions are confirmed, the therapist will send you to an infectious disease doctor or hepatologist - specialists who are directly involved in the treatment of hepatitis.

The good news: Hepatitis C is curable.

90% of those affected recover with Hepatitis C Questions and Answers for the Public after a course of medication that only takes a few months.

But keep in mind: only a doctor can prescribe such therapy. The fact is that the hepatitis C virus has several genotypes, each of which requires an individual selection of medications.

And one more important point: you need to have time to start treatment before the liver damage becomes irreversible.

Who needs to get tested for hepatitis C

You are at increased risk if:

• work in a medical institution in direct contact with someone else's blood and needles;
• have a varied sex life - change partners, are fond of fisting (and at the same time your partner has cuticle damage - the skin around the nails) or prefer unprotected anal sex;
• you have piercings or tattoos, and you do not know for sure whether the master's tools were sterile or disposable;
• do a manicure or pedicure in salons with dubious hygiene;
• you have had a blood transfusion;
• you are on dialysis (possible infection from equipment that was not properly sterilized or, being disposable, was reused);
• have a spouse or sexual partner with hepatitis C;
• were born to a mother with hepatitis C;
• were born in the period from 1945 to 1965 - this generation has the highest incidence of this type of hepatitis (at least according to US statistics);
• were in prison;
• use drugs with needles or sniff cocaine and share with other inhalers.

If you recognize yourself in one of the items on this list, be sure to get tested for hepatitis C at least once. It is advisable for doctors, dialysis patients, lovers of piercings, tattoos and manicure to repeat this procedure at least once a year. However, not only for them: the doctor will recommend the frequency of checks, based on your habits, profession and lifestyle.

How not to get hepatitis C

The main route of transmission of hepatitis C is through the blood of an infected person. Sometimes the virus can enter the body during sexual intercourse, as well as from mother to child, but such cases are less common.

Hepatitis C is not transmitted:

• through food, water, breast milk;
• through social contacts, hugs, kisses, the use of shared utensils;
• mosquitoes and other insects.

To reduce the risk of infection, it is important to avoid contact with someone else's blood:

• Be careful when handling other people's syringes and biomaterials. Use medical gloves.
• Try not to get scratched in public places. For example, it is dangerous to injure your skin on the handrail in public transport - after all, a person infected with hepatitis C could scratch there before you.
• Use condoms and lubricants to avoid contact with blood during sex.
• Do not share your toothbrush, razor, or nail clippers with others.
• If you are doing a manicure, tattoo, piercing, be sure to check that the master uses a disposable instrument or thoroughly sterilizes a reusable one.
• Don't experiment with drugs.

And we repeat once again: hepatitis C is a curable disease. But it is better not to inform him. Be careful and prudent.