Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus--HCV. The infection causes swelling or inflammation of the liver that in turn prevents its major function of eliminating waste products such as alcohol from the body. Hepatitis C can spread by direct contact with human blood. “Approximately 80 percent of persons who share needles to inject drugs are infected with HCV,” according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. People with hepatitis C may not show any symptoms until the virus damages the liver. The signs may range from mild to severe.
Jaundice
Jaundice is the yellowish pigmentation of the skin, tissues and body fluids caused by an excess of bile pigments in the blood. When HCV viruses invade the liver cells, they begin to multiply at the site, destroying both infected cells and neighboring non-infected cells. The injured liver cells swell due to loss of control of water intake that prevents the liver from processing bilirubin into bile--a yellow or greenish viscid alkaline fluid secreted by the liver which helps in the emulsification and absorption of fats. “Bilirubin is a waste product that remains in the bloodstream after the iron is removed from the hemoglobin,” according to Medical News Today.
Dark Urine
Dark urine or hematuria--the presence of red blood cells in the urine--is another rare but alarming symptom of hepatitis C. Blood in your urine can be present in very small amounts and can only be visible under a microscope, known as microscopic hematuria. In gross hematuria, the blood can be seen in the urine with the naked eyes because the urine is pink, red or brownish red.
Hives
Hives is an allergic disorder marked by raised edematous patches of skin or mucous membrane. Hives form when the body releases a protein called histamine in response to an allergic reaction. Histamine causes fluid to leak from the blood capillaries, and “the fluid accumulates in the skin and causes a rash,” according to Medical News Today.
