Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Several different viruses cause viral hepatitis. They are named the hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E viruses.

All of these viruses cause acute, or short-term, viral hepatitis. The hepatitis B, C, and D viruses can also cause chronic hepatitis, in which the infection is prolonged, sometimes lifelong.

Other viruses may also cause hepatitis, but they have yet to be discovered and they are obviously rare causes of the disease.

Symptoms of Viral Hepatitis

Symptoms include
	jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
	fatigue
	abdominal pain
	loss of appetite
	nausea
	vomiting
	diarrhea
	low grade fever
	headache

However, some people do not have symptoms.

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a liver disease.

Hepatitis makes your liver swell and stops it from working right.

You need a healthy liver. The liver does many things to keep you alive. The liver fights infections and stops bleeding. It removes drugs and other poisons from your blood. The liver also stores energy for when you need it.

Hepatitis C is caused by a virus.

A virus is a germ that causes sickness. (For example, the flu is caused by a virus.) People can pass viruses to each other. The virus that causes hepatitis C is called the hepatitis C virus.

How could I get hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is spread by contact with an infected person's blood.

You could get hepatitis C by
	sharing drug needles
	getting pricked with a needle that has infected blood on it (hospital workers can get hepatitis C this way)
	having sex with an infected person, especially if you or your partner has other sexually transmitted diseases
	being born to a mother with hepatitis C
In rare cases, you could get hepatitis C by
	getting a tattoo or body piercing with unsterilized, dirty tools

You can NOT get hepatitis C by
	shaking hands with an infected person
	hugging an infected person
	kissing an infected person
	sitting next to an infected person

Could I get hepatitis C from a blood transfusion?

If you had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992, you might have hepatitis C.

Before 1992, doctors could not check blood for hepatitis C, and some people received infected blood. If you had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992, ask a doctor to test you for hepatitis C.

What are the symptoms?

Many people with hepatitis C don't have symptoms.

However, some people with hepatitis C feel like they have the flu.

So, you might
	feel tired
	feel sick to your stomach
	have a fever
	not want to eat
	have stomach pain
	have diarrhea

Some people have
	dark yellow urine
	light-colored stools
	yellowish eyes and skin

If you have symptoms or think you might have hepatitis B, go to a doctor.

What are the tests for hepatitis C?

To check for hepatitis C, the doctor will test your blood.

These tests show if you have hepatitis C and how serious it is.

A biopsy is a simple test. The doctor removes a tiny piece of your liver through a needle. The doctor checks the piece of liver for signs of hepatitis C and liver damage.

How is hepatitis C treated?

Hepatitis C is treated with a drug called peginterferon, usually in combination with the drug ribavirin.

You may need surgery if you have hepatitis C for many years. Over time, hepatitis C can cause your liver to stop working. If that happens, you will need a new liver. The surgery is called a liver transplant. It involves taking out the old, damaged liver and putting in a new, healthy one from a donor.

How can I protect myself?

You can protect yourself and others from hepatitis C.
	Don't share drug needles with anyone.
	Wear gloves if you have to touch anyone's blood.
	If you have several sex partners, use a condom during sex.
	Don't use an infected person's toothbrush, razor, or anything else that could have blood on it.
	If you get a tattoo or body piercing, make sure it is done with clean tools.
	If you have hepatitis C, don't give your blood or plasma. The person who receives it could become infected with the virus.

Hepatitis C

Disease Spread

Primarily through contact with infected blood; less commonly, through sexual contact and childbirth.

Injection drug users, people who have sex with an infected person, people who have multiple sex partners, health care workers, infants born to infected women, hemodialysis patients, and people who received a transfusion of blood or blood products before July 1992 or clotting factors made before 1987.

There is no vaccine for hepatitis C; the only way to prevent the disease is to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus. This means avoiding behaviors like sharing drug needles or sharing personal items like toothbrushes, razors, and nail clippers with an infected person.

Chronic hepatitis C: drug treatment with combination treatment with peginterferon and the drug ribavirin.

Acute hepatitis C: treatment is recommended if it does not resolve within 2 to 3 months.