Chronic Hepatitis C (Cont.)

Symptoms of Chronic Hepatitis C

Approximately 80 percent of people with chronic hepatitis C have no symptoms of the disease -- even after many years. You can look and feel perfectly healthy, yet still be infected with the disease, and infect others. Most patients do not have symptoms of chronic hepatitis C until there is already cirrhosis, or even liver failure.
 
If a person does have chronic hepatitis C symptoms, they may:
 
  • Feel tired
  • Feel sick to their stomach
  • Not feel like eating
  • Have a fever
  • Have stomach pain
  • Experience a dull pain or feeling of heaviness on the right side.
 
In addition to these hepatitis C symptoms, people who are infected with the hepatitis C virus may also have dark urine or yellowing of the skin, known as jaundice (see Hepatitis C Pictures).
 

Diagnosing Chronic Hepatitis C

In order to make a diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C, the healthcare provider will ask a number of questions and perform a physical exam to look for signs and symptoms of chronic hepatitis C. If he or she suspects a liver problem, certain tests or procedures may be recommended.
 
(Click Hepatitis C Test for more information about the tests used to make a hepatitis C diagnosis.)
 

Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis C

Chronic hepatitis C is a condition that can lead to more and more liver damage over time. However, everyone's situation is a little different. So before hepatitis C treatment is recommended, your healthcare provider will review the results of your blood work and other tests to find out several things, including:
 
  • The amount of virus in your body (see Hepatitis C Viral Load)
  • Its genotype
  • How much liver damage has already happened
  • Any other medical conditions you may have.
 
Then together, you and your healthcare provider can decide what hepatitis C treatment, if any, is best for you.
 
If treatment for chronic hepatitis C is recommended, it usually involves two hepatitis C medications called peginterferon and ribavirin. Peginterferon, which is sold under the brand names of PEGASYS® or Peg-Intron®, can be used by itself, or with ribavirin (COPEGUS®, Rebetol®). Using these drugs together is called combination therapy. Peginterferon is given by injection once a week and ribavirin is a pill taken twice daily.
 
The goal of the hepatitis C treatment medications is to get rid of the virus completely.
 
(Chronic Hepatitis C Continued: Page 3)

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD