Hepatitis actually comes in three forms A, B, and C. Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that attacks the liver and can either be a short term illness or a lifelong condition.
1. Getting Infected with Hepatitis C
A short term illness is called acute. It generally occurs within 6 months after infection. If the virus remains in the body, it can turn into chronic Hepatitis C, which often lasts a lifetime and leads to severe liver damage. An acute infection in many cases develops into a chronic one.
It is possible to have chronic hepatitis C and not be aware of it. If a person does not look or feel sick, they may not know that they are carrying the virus. Symptoms of the disease include scarring of the liver, which is known as cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
2. How it Spreads
Hepatitis C spreads mainly through contact with infected blood. This puts drug users at a high risk, especially if they are sharing needles, syringes, or any equipment to inject anything into their bloodstream. It can also be gotten through accidents at health care facilities. If infected blood is spilled, it should be cleaned up with a dilution of bleach and gloves should be worn. Even dried blood can carry the virus.
Hepatitis C has not been found in any licensed tattoo or body piercing parlors. However, with the rapid rise in popularity of body art, unlicensed parlors are known to operate in places all over the country. It is impossible to determine if the virus is being spread through these unregulated channels. For safety’s sake, it is best to stick to the commercial parlors for any tattoos or body piercings, where sanitation is known to be a priority.
If you are living in a household with someone infected with the virus, the chances of it spreading to you are slim. It is possible to spread through sexual contact, but the risk is low. The risk increases for those with multiple sexual partners or a sexually transmitted disease. Sharing personal items does not spread the disease, although for items like toothbrushes and razors, infection may occur if the item has come in contact with blood.
3. Symptoms and Risk
Almost 80% of people with acute Hepatitis C do not have any symptoms. Some symptoms that have been reported include fever, nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, joint pain, and jaundice. These symptoms generally occur 6-7 weeks after infection, although it can be as much as 6 months later. Even if you do not exhibit any symptoms, you can still spread the disease.
Most people with chronic Hepatitis C are not aware that they have the disease until severe liver problems develop. You should talk to your doctor about getting tested if you ever used injection drugs, received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992, have HIV, were treated for blood clots before 1987, or work in health care and were accidentally exposed to blood.
4. Treatment and Prevention
It is possible to recover from an acute infection without developing a chronic condition. If this does not happen, there are treatments available. Ongoing research is learning more about the disease all the time, making Hepatitis C increasingly more treatable.