How often do you think about your liver? The liver is in fact one of the most important organs in the body and we cannot survive without one. Hepatitis is a kind of inflammation of the liver due to the liver being injured. In medical jargon an inflammation that lasts for a period of less than 6 months is termed acute hepatitis. Inflammation that continues beyond the 6 month mark is termed chronic hepatitis.
The causes of liver inflammation have been broadly classified by doctors to form two main categories. There is viral hepatitis and non infectious hepatitis. Viral hepatitis is a very confusing disease and is categorized into five viruses named from Hepatitis A to Hepatitis E. Each of the viruses causes a different type of hepatitis and spreads differently as well. some forms of the disease are infectious as well.
Non infectious hepatitis on the other hand is due to certain chemicals found in alcohol or medication. Then there are other health issues like obesity or genetic disorders among that can cause the disease. This type of hepatitis cannot be spread from one person to another.
Hepatitis C is a very persistent form of the disease, far more so than hepatitis A or B. it is transferred for the most part through blood. it should be clearly understood that it cannot be transferred through casual contact, hugging, sharing food or drink, coughing or sneezing. it can be transferred through sharing drug equipment like needles or tattooing needles that have not been sterilized properly. it can also be transferred during a blood transfusion, sex or other forms of contact with an infected person’s blood.
Strangely enough some people do not have any symptoms when they get infected with the hepatitis C virus despite the fact that it damages the liver. it is possible that the symptoms may emerge at a later stage and can even take months or as long as 20 years to appear. it is also possible that a person can develop the disease and the immune system will work to eradicate it completely without their knowledge.
When the symptoms for hepatitis C do appear, they may include: nausea, vomiting, flu like symptoms, loss of appetite, diarrhea, jaundice, fatigue, itchy skin and pain over the liver, just under the rib cage.
If you suspect that you may have hepatitis C or have been exposed to hepatitis C it is important that you be tested. you can schedule a visit with your doctor to be tested or there are home testing kits available as well which will be a less expensive testing option.