Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver contracted by coming in contact with an infected individual's blood. Effects of Hepatitis C result from an inflammation of the liver interfering with its normal function of waste product removal, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Initially, the infection may not present any symptoms, but as waste products build up in the body, the physical manifestation of the infection becomes apparent.
Early Effects
According to the Mayo Clinic, people may go on for decades without knowing they are infected with hepatitis C because symptoms do not present until liver damage has occurred. Early symptoms are mild and often seem flu-like. These can include mild fever, fatigue, nausea, lack of appetite, muscle aches or joint pain. Tenderness over the liver area, in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, can also be present.
Progressing Effects
As the damage to the liver by the infection progresses, in addition to the previously mentioned symptoms, jaundice or yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes sets in. A waste product of blood decomposition called bilirubin has a yellow pigment that when uncleared by the malfunctioning liver, builds up in the tissues and causes jaundice to appear, says AAFP. Also according to "Pathophysiology made Incredibly Easy" by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, accumulation of bilirubin can be evident in dark-colored urine and clay-colored stools.
Long-Term Effects
According to the American Liver Foundation (ALF), 60 to 85 percent of people infected with the virus do not successfully recuperate from an acute infection and go on to develop chronic hepatitis C. Over a long-term, the inflammation by the virus causes liver cell destruction and eventually liver tissue death. Chronic hepatitis C infection leads to cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, gradual liver failure and eventually liver cancer. The ALF also states the damages caused by the virus are one of the most common reasons for liver transplants.
References
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Hepatitis C
- Mayo Clinic: Hepatitis C
- American Liver Foundation: Hepatitis C
- "Pathophysiology made Incredibly Easy"; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009
