The majority of people with
chronic hepatitis C -- approximately 80 percent -- do not have any symptoms of the disease, even after many years. However, some people with chronic
hepatitis C experience symptoms such as fever, pain or heaviness on the right side, and feeling tired. Dark urine and a yellowing of the skin (jaundice) are also possible symptoms of chronic hepatitis C.
If
cirrhosis (severe scarring) of the liver is present, it's more likely that the person will experience symptoms of chronic hepatitis C. These symptoms can include:
- Exhaustion
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Weight loss
- Abdominal pain
- Spider-like blood vessels (spider angiomas) that develop on the skin.
It is important to know that the
hepatitis C virus (HCV) can affect one person much differently than it affects someone else. For example, some people have very bad cirrhosis and symptoms of chronic hepatitis C after many years of having the disease, while others have very little damage to their liver.
(Click Hepatitis C Symptoms for more in-depth information about the symptoms of chronic hepatitis C, including those that may occur with cirrhosis and liver failure resulting from hepatitis C.)
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