Hepatitis C is a viral disease of the liver caused by — you guessed it — the hepatitis C virus. This disease can be found around the world, but the Eastern Mediterranean region and the European region are most affected. It is estimated that 71 million people are infected with this disease worldwide.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne disease. The virus is usually spread by using unsterile and unsafe needles, syringes, and other drug-related equipment. The virus particles can be found even in the tiniest, microscopic droplets of blood, which can stay in the equipment, so sharing that equipment puts a person at great risk of contracting the disease.
Other items that can contain traces of blood, such as razors or toothbrushes, can also be the source of infection, so it is strongly advised not to share that equipment too. Getting a tattoo or a piercing in an unsafe, and an unsanitary environment, or if the artist isn't using new or sterilized equipment, is another path to infection.
Hepatitis C can be transmitted sexually. If the act is rough, it can leave microscopic bruises and tissue lacerations, which can enable teh virus to enter ones organism. Less commonly, the virus can be spread from an infected mother to her child, but the virus cannot be spread through breast milk. Blood transfusions and organ transplantations used to carry a risk of spreading the disease, but since the blood and the organ donors are tested for a number of different diseases, including hepatitis C, the risk of getting infected this way is minimal.
What are the symptoms of an acute hepatitis C infection?
Hepatitis C is a virus that attacks the liver. Since the liver has a great regenarative capacity, most cases of acute hepatitis C go unnoticed, with few to no symptoms. In about 35 percent of the people affected, the symptoms may include:
- Mild fever
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
Since the symptoms are pretty much non-specific, both patients and doctors rarely assume that the cause of those symptoms is a hepatitis C infection. Sometimes, jaundice can appear. The bilirubin levels in the blood rise, as the liver is unable to process this molecule (which comes from dead red blood cells, and is normally processed in the liver, and excreted via feces). The bilirubin builds up and colors the tissues (including the skin, mucosa and the white of the eyes) yellow. This condition is associated with pale stool and dark urine. Jaundice is a characteristic symptom of many liver diseases, and it will point your doctor toward tests for different types of hepatitis, including hepatitis C.
How can I prevent a hepatitis C infection?
Unfortunately, there still is no vaccine for this disease, so it's up to you to stay safe and avoid risky behavior and accidental exposure to the virus. There are some recommendations that might help you stay safe. Those include:
- Never share needles, syringes and other equipment used for IV drug use, since this is the main way the virus is spread.
- Don't share your personal equipment either, since the disease can be spread this way, too.
- If you're getting a tattoo or a piercing, be sure to do it in a safe and sanitary studio, and also be sure that the artist is using sterile equipment.
- Practice safe sex, and avoid one-night stands with people you don't know.
How can I know if I'm infected with hepatitis C?
The best way to know if you've got the disease is to get tested. Although hepatitis C is a global problem, some groups are at more risk than the others. These groups include:
- IV drug users
- Sex workers
- Prison inmates
- HIV patients
- People whose sexual partners are HCV-positive
- Drug users who sniff drugs
How is an acute form of hepatitis C treated?
The therapy for this form of the disease is not always necessary, since the virus can be cleared out of the organism on its own. But, if your doctor thinks that therapy is needed, a number of antiviral drugs can be used to help cure the disease. Also, supporting therapy, such as drugs to prevent nausea, or drugs to help the patient deal with the abdominal pain, should be used if needed.
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