Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C

The virus is carried in the bloodHepatitis C is a virus which can cause fatal liver problems.
Although some modern treatments can control it in some patients, on the whole it remains an infection which is very hard to treat.
The virus is carried in the blood, and people with the infection can pass it on if their blood gets under the skin or into the bloodstream of another person.
Examples of how this might happen include intravenous drug users sharing syringes, or a surgeon with the infection who is cut while carrying out an operation, with the blood getting into the patient's wound.
It can also be passed on through sexual contact but that is very rare. Hepatitis C is not transmitted through normal social contact such as touching, hugging or kissing.
The word hepatitis in general refers to an inflammation of the liver - which can be caused either by the C virus, or by other viruses, drinking too much or even by a condition in which the body's own immune system attacks liver cells.
Symptomless

Sharing needles increases infection risksSome patients - some 20% - manage to get rid of the hepatitis C virus within six months without ever suffering the symptoms of the disease.
In the remainder, the virus can remain in the body, again perhaps not causing any symptoms, for even a period of decades.
However, if the liver inflammation begins to get worse, then symptoms can appear.
These include jaundice, a condition which tells doctors that the liver may not be working properly.
In this the skin turns yellowish, as do the whites of the eyes. It is associated with fatigue.
Other symptoms of hepatitis C include weight loss, alcohol intolerance, vomiting and flu like symptoms.
If severe liver inflammation persists, serious damage may occur.
Tests for hepatitis C
Blood tests may be able to tell doctors if hepatitis C is present. However, as the test is looking for signs that the body's immune system is trying to fight the virus, it may not be positive for a few months after infection.
A doctor may also want to carry out "liver function tests" to see how well the liver is working, or even take a sample of liver tissue - a liver "biopsy" to check for serious damage.
Treatments
Currently, hepatitis C is treated with a combination of two drugs, interferon alpha and ribavirin.
About 40% of patients respond to this "combination" therapy.
In some cases, however, doctors who know a patient has hepatitis C may opt to simply keep an eye on them to check that liver damage is not occurring.
If liver damage is severe, then a transplant may be the only option. The shortage of organs for transplantation is a severe problem - patients may have to wait some time before one becomes available.
Even when the liver is replaced, this does not cure the virus - the virus infects the new liver and will eventually start to damage it in the same way.
The operation simply buys some time and improves the general health of the patient.