How Does A Person Get Hepatitis C

What Are The Symptoms Of Hepatitis C Infection

HCV almost never causes symptoms. This means someone can have it for years without knowing. If any symptoms do occur, they will likely be mild. They can include:

• Pain in the upper right abdomen

• Swollen abdomen

• Upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea

• Blood in vomit or stool

• Jaundice

• Itchy skin

• Low-grade fever

How Can I Prevent Hepatitis C

There is no known cure for hepatitis C. However, there are ways to reduce your risk of getting the infection.

While there is no vaccine available for hepatitis C, it is possible to reduce your risk by:

• Avoiding close contact with others who are infected.
• Avoiding sharing needles and other medical devices.
• Avoiding sexual contact with anyone with hepatitis C.
• Avoiding contact with blood or body fluids that may have the virus.
• Wearing a mask when providing care to someone with an infection.
• Avoiding eating or drinking raw or undercooked shellfish.
• Avoiding sexual contact with someone with hepatitis C.

These recommendations are for people who are at very low risk for hepatitis C.

If you do have the infection, there are also ways to reduce your risk of developing it in the future.

These include:

How Is Hepatitis C Treated

Significant progress has been made in treating and even curing hepatitis C. Older hepatitis C treatments usually required weekly injections, had serious side effects, and often were not effective.

New and better oral medicines now can cure HCV for many people within 3 months. The new medicines were very expensive at first, but their prices have come down, a trend that health experts hope will continue as the incidence of HCV rises and increased screening brings more cases to light.

These medicines successfully cure about 90% of HCV patients. A new oral medicine under development looks promising for the 10% who don’t respond to the standard treatment. This new antiviral combination pill is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration .

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Reactive Or Positive Hepatitis C Antibody Test

• A reactive or positive antibody test means that Hepatitis C antibodies were found in the blood and a person has been infected with the Hepatitis C virus at some point in time.
• Once people have been infected, they will always have antibodies in their blood. This is true even if they have cleared the Hepatitis C virus.
• A reactive antibody test does not necessarily mean that you have Hepatitis C. A person will need an additional, follow-up test.

Persons for Whom HCV Testing Is Recommended

• Adults born from 1945 through 1965 should be tested once
• Those who:
• Ever injected drugs, including those who injected once or a few times many years ago
• Have certain medical conditions, including persons:
• who received clotting factor concentrates produced before 1987
• who were ever on long-term hemodialysis
• with persistently abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels
• who have HIV infection

Why Getting Tested Is Important

A blood test is one of the only ways to confirm a diagnosis of hepatitis C. Additionally, hepatitis C often has no visible symptoms for many years.

Because of this, its important to be tested if you believe youve been exposed to the virus. Getting a timely diagnosis can help ensure you receive treatment before permanent liver damage occurs.

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How Is Hepatitis C Diagnosed

Many people find out by chance that they have the virus. They find out when their blood is tested before a blood donation or as part of a checkup when they advise their doctor of symptoms that may be related to hepatitis C. Some people are screened for hepatitis C because they are at higher risk of becoming infected. Often people with hepatitis C have high levels of liver enzymes in their blood.

If your doctor thinks you may have hepatitis C, he or she will talk to you about having a blood test. If the test shows hepatitis C antibodies, then you have had hepatitis C at some point. A second test can tell if you still have hepatitis C.

When blood tests show that you have hepatitis C, you may need a liver biopsy to see how well your liver is working. During a liver biopsy, a doctor will insert a needle between your ribs to collect a small sample of liver tissue to look at under a microscope. You may also have imaging tests, such as a CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound, to make sure that you don’t have liver cancer.

Can You Pass Hepatitis C To A Sex Partner

Sex and Sexuality

Yes, but it is not likely. Compared to hepatitis B virus and the human immunodeficiency virus , it is less likely that you will spread the hepatitis C virus to your sex partner.

If you have one long-term sex partner, and one of you has hepatitis C and one of you does not, you do not need to change your sex habits at all. But, if either you or your partner is worried about the small chance of spreading the hepatitis C virus, you can use latex condoms. This will make it almost impossible to spread the virus. Long-term partners of people with hepatitis C should get tested for the virus. If the test is negative, you will probably not need to repeat it.

If you have more than one sex partner, you are more likely to spread the virus. In this case, reduce the number of sex partners you have, practice safer sex, and always use latex condoms.

There have been outbreaks of sexually transmitted HCV infection among men who have HIV and who have sex with men. It is recommended that men who have sex with men use condoms to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HCV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Read Also: How Do You Contract Hepatitis B Virus

How Do People Get Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is spread when the blood of a person who is infected with hepatitis C gets into the body of a person who does not have hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C infection happens the most in people who:

• Are being treated in a health care setting where needles or other medical tools are not sterilized in the right way

Much less often, hepatitis C can happen:

• When a child is born to a mother who has hepatitis C
• From having sexual contact with a person who has hepatitis C
• From sharing items like a toothbrush or a razor with a person who has hepatitis C

In the past, hepatitis C would happen from:

• Medical procedures involving donated blood
• Before this time, the screening process for blood diseases within donated blood was not well controlled.
• Medical equipment contaminated with hepatitis C, before strict infection control was required.

How To Prevent Hepatitis C

There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C. Avoiding contact with infected blood is the only way to prevent the condition.

The most common way for people to contract hepatitis C is by injecting street drugs. Because of this, the best way to prevent hepatitis C is to avoid injecting.

Treatments can help many people quit. People in the U.S. can call the National Helpline for help with finding treatments.

If a person finds it difficult to stop, they can reduce the risk of contracting hepatitis C by never sharing drug equipment, ensuring a clean, hygienic environment, and always using new equipment, including syringes, ties, alcohol swabs, cottons, and cookers.

People who may come into contact with infected blood, such as healthcare workers and caretakers, should always wash the hands thoroughly with soap and water after any contact, or suspected contact, with blood. They should also wear gloves when touching another persons blood or open wounds.

People can also reduce their risk by making sure that any tattoo artist or body piercer they visit uses fresh, sterile needles and unopened ink.

The risk of contracting hepatitis C through sexual contact is low. Using barrier protection, such as condoms, reduces the risk of most sexually transmitted infections.

People who have hepatitis C can reduce the risk of transmitting it to others by:

There are many misconceptions about how hepatitis C spreads. People cannot transmit or contract the virus through:

Also Check: What Is Hepatitis B Antibody

How Can I Protect Myself From Hepatitis C Infection

If you dont have hepatitis C, you can help protect yourself from hepatitis C infection by

• not sharing drug needles or other drug materials
• wearing gloves if you have to touch another persons blood or open sores
• making sure your tattoo artist or body piercer uses sterile tools and unopened ink
• not sharing personal items such toothbrushes, razors, or nail clippers

Hepatitis C can spread from person to person during sex, but the chances are low. People who have multiple sex partners, have HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, or who engage in rough or anal sex have a higher chance of getting hepatitis C. Talk with your doctor about your risk of getting hepatitis C through sex and about safe sex practices, such as using a latex or polyurethane condom to help prevent the spread of hepatitis C.

If you had hepatitis C in the past and your body fought off the infection or medicines cured the infection, you can get hepatitis C again. Follow the steps above, and talk with your doctor about how to protect yourself from another hepatitis C infection.

If you think you may have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus, see your doctor as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent liver damage.

What Is Chronic Hepatitis C

Doctors refer to hepatitis C infections as either acute or chronic:

• An acute HCV infection is a short-term illness that clears within 6 months of when a person is exposed to the virus.
• A person who still has HCV after 6 months is said to have a chronic hepatitis C infection. This is a long-term illness, meaning the virus stays in the body and can cause lifelong illness. An estimated 3.2 million people in the U.S. have chronic HCV.

Recommended Reading: How Did You Get Hepatitis C

How Do You Get Hepatitis B

The virus that causes hepatitis B lives in blood, semen, and other fluids in your body. You usually get it by having sex with someone who’s infected.

You also can get it if you:

• Have direct contact with infected blood or the body fluids of someone who’s got the disease, for instance by using the same razor or toothbrush as someone who has hepatitis B, or touching the open sores of somebody who’s infected.
• If you’re pregnant and you’ve got hepatitis B, you could give the disease to your unborn child. If you deliver a baby who’s got it, they need to get treatment in the first 12 hours after birth.

What Is The Treatment For Hepatitis C

Treatment for hepatitis C depends on the stage of the infection.

In the earliest stage, known as acute hepatitis, your treatment may consist of getting an antiviral drug or a combination of drugs.

If you have chronic hepatitis C, your treatment will focus on treating the underlying cause.

In a study published in the journal Hepatology, researchers looked at the treatment and outcomes of people with chronic hepatitis C who opted to take antiviral drugs.

Results showed that around 80 percent of the people who took the drugs experienced a reduction in liver inflammation.

However, the study noted that around 20 percent of the people experienced a worsening of their condition.

This suggests that a large portion of people do not respond to treatment, and that the side effects are severe.

The study concluded that the best approach to treating chronic hepatitis C is to manage the underlying cause.

It may be helpful to take an antiviral drug, such as sofosbuvir, lamivudine, or adefovir dipivoxil.

It may also be helpful to take a drug to treat the liver damage, such as interferon.

Your doctor may also recommend additional treatments such as:

Recommended Reading: Treatment For Liver Cirrhosis Hepatitis B

Other Risks Can Include:

• Sharing personal care items that may have come in contact with another persons blood, such as razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers
• Inoculation practices involving multiple use needles or immunization air guns
• Exposure of broken skin to HCV infected blood
• HIV infected persons

People with current or past risk behaviors should consider HCV testing and consult with a physician. HCV testing is currently not available at most public health clinics in Missouri. For information about HCV testing that is available, call the HCV Program Coordinator at 573-751-6439.

Seek Help For Depression

You may feel angry or depressed about having to live with a long-term, serious disease. You may have a hard time knowing how to tell other people that you have the virus. It can be helpful to talk with a social worker or counsellor about what having the disease means to you. You also may want to find a support group for people with hepatitis C. If you don’t have a support group in your area, there are several on the Internet.

Depression may develop in anyone who has a long-term illness. It also can be a side effect of antiviral medicines for hepatitis C. If you are feeling depressed, talk to your doctor about antidepressant medicines and/or counselling. For more information, see the topic Depression.

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What Are The Treatments For Hepatitis C

Treatment for hepatitis C is with antiviral medicines. They can cure the disease in most cases.

If you have acute hepatitis C, your health care provider may wait to see if your infection becomes chronic before starting treatment.

If your hepatitis C causes cirrhosis, you should see a doctor who specializes in liver diseases. Treatments for health problems related to cirrhosis include medicines, surgery, and other medical procedures. If your hepatitis C leads to liver failure or liver cancer, you may need a liver transplant.

Needle Use Or Accidental Stick

You can get hepatitis C from:

• Sharing needles and other equipment used to inject drugs.
• Having your ears or another body part pierced, getting a tattoo, or having acupuncture with needles that have not been sterilized properly. The risk of getting hepatitis C in these ways is very low.
• Working in a health care environment where you are exposed to fresh blood or where you may be pricked with a used needle. Following standard precautions for health care workers makes this risk very low.

Also Check: Hepatitis C Home Test Kit

Additional Tests You Might Need

Once youve been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, your doctor will likely order a number of tests to find out about the health of your liver and decide on a treatment plan thats most appropriate for you.

Hepatitis C genotype

The Hepatitis C genotype refers to a specific strain or type of the Hepatitis C virus. There are six major types of Hepatitis C around the world: genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. In the United States, genotypes 1, 2, and 3 are common:

• Genotype 1: Most Americans with Hepatitis C have this type
• Genotype 2: About 10% of Americans with Hepatitis C have this type
• Genotype 3: About 6% of Americans with Hepatitis C have this type

The genotype of Hepatitis C does not change over time, so you only need to get tested once.

Genotype tests are done before a person starts treatment. Hepatitis C treatment works differently for different genotypes, so knowing your genotype helps your doctor choose the best treatment for you.

Testing for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B

Your doctor may test to see if your body is immune to Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. If these tests show no prior exposure or protection, he or she will recommend that you be vaccinated against these two viruses to eliminate the chance of becoming infected.

Liver function tests or liver enzymes

• ALT
• AST

Liver function tests also include ALP and total bilirubin, among other things.

Tests to measure liver scarring or fibrosis

• Liver Biopsy

• Elastography

• Serum markers

Imaging tests

• The Body

Activities That Cannot Pass Hepatitis C

• Casual contact: Hepatitis C is not passed through casual contact with a person living with hepatitis C, including sharing toilets, drinking glasses and eating utensils.
• Hugging, kissing or touching a person living with hepatitis C
• Following harm reduction principles: Using sterile, unused drug use equipment for injecting, snorting or smoking drugs and using new and sterile tattoo and piercing equipment prevents hepatitis C from being passed.
• Using new or sterilized medical equipment during medical procedures

Many of the activities that increase a persons chances of getting hepatitis C are similar to those associated with HIV, and therefore many of the steps to prevent hepatitis C also apply to preventing HIV. See Prevention & Harm Reduction for more information on how to reduce the chances of hepatitis C transmission.

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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Hcv Infection

Most people with HCV have no symptoms. But even without symptoms, they can develop health problems decades later and can still pass the disease to others.

If symptoms do happen, it’s usually when the disease is very advanced. Symptoms can be similar to those of hepatitis A and hepatitis B and include:

• jaundice
• fever
• darker than usual urine or gray-colored stools