Hepatitis C

Symptoms

Hepatitis C often does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has been significantly damaged. This means many people have the infection without realising it.

When symptoms do occur, they can be mistaken for another condition.

Symptoms can include:

• flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and a high temperature (fever)
• feeling tired all the time
• loss of appetite
• stomach ache
• feeling and being sick

The only way to know for certain if these symptoms are caused by hepatitis C is to get tested.

Causes

The hepatitis C virus is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact.

Some ways the infection can be spread include:

• sharing unsterilised needles – particularly needles used to inject recreational drugs
• sharing razors or toothbrushes
• from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby

• through unprotected sex – although this is very rare
  

Risk Factors

Some groups of people are at an increased risk of hepatitis C, including:

• ex-drug users and current drug users, particularly users of injected drugs
• babies and children whose mothers have hepatitis C
• anyone accidentally exposed to the virus, such as health workers
• people who have received a tattoo or piercing where equipment may not have been properly sterilised
• sexual partners, family members and close contacts of people with hepatitis C

If you continue to engage in high-risk activities, such as injecting drugs frequently, regular testing may be recommended. Your doctor will be able to advise you about this.

Diagnosis

If you think you may have been exposed to hepatitis C, taking a test will put your mind at rest or, if the test is positive, allow you to start treatment early.

You should consider getting tested for hepatitis C if you're worried you could have been infected or you fall into one of the groups at an increased risk of being infected.

Hepatitis C often has no symptoms, so you may still be infected if you feel healthy.

Hepatitis C can be diagnosed using 2 blood tests: the antibody test and the PCR test. The results usually come back within 2 weeks.

If you have an active hepatitis C infection, you will be referred to a specialist for further tests to check if your liver has been damaged.

The tests you may have include blood tests and ultrasound scans

Treatment Options

Hepatitis C can be treated with medicines that stop the virus multiplying inside the body. These usually need to be taken for several weeks.

Until recently, most people would have taken 2 main medicines called pegylated interferon (a weekly injection) and ribavirin (a capsule or tablet).

Tablet-only treatments are now available.

These new hepatitis C medicines have been found to make treatment more effective, are easier to tolerate, and have shorter treatment courses.

They include sofosbuvir and daclatasvir.

Using the latest medications, more than 90% of people with hepatitis C may be cured.

But it's important to be aware that you will not be immune to the infection and should take steps to reduce your risk of becoming infected again.

Prevention Tips

There's no vaccine for hepatitis C, but there are ways to reduce your risk of becoming infected.

These include:

• not sharing any drug-injecting equipment with other people – including needles and other equipment, such as syringes, spoons and filters
• not sharing razors or toothbrushes that might be contaminated with blood

The risk of getting hepatitis C through sex is very low. But it may be higher if blood is present, such as menstrual blood or from minor bleeding during anal sex.

Condoms are not usually necessary to prevent hepatitis C for long-term heterosexual couples, but it's a good idea to use them when having anal sex or sex with a new partner.

When To See A Doctor

Seek medical advice if you have persistent symptoms of hepatitis C or there's a risk you're infected, even if you do not have any symptoms.