Hepatitis C is inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. The liver is a vital organ responsible for controlling infection, removing toxins, aiding digestion and making proteins. The virus can be spread through sexual contact, from an infected mother to her child during childbirth, and sharing needles with infected people. Infections may produce no symptoms and tend to last for life. The virus causes damage to the liver, which gets worse over time, and the symptoms may be fatal. There is currently no vaccine for the virus, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
Cirrhosis or scarring of liver tissue
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, cirrhosis is the slow deterioration of the liver through viral infection. As the virus destroys the liver, scar tissue is formed which is non-functional tissue. The liver slowly loses its function and can be fatal. General symptoms include nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, itching, loss of appetite, weakness and abdominal pain with bloating. Serious symptoms include internal bleeding, enlarged spleen, jaundice, gallstones, medication sensitivity, type 2 diabetes, swelling in the body, stomach bleeding, toxin buildup in the body, and risk of infection. Treatments for cirrhosis depend on the symptoms, but each symptom may be fatal if left untreated.
Liver cancer
Liver cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. When the hepatitis C virus infects the liver, it incorporates its DNA into the liver cell DNA, causing mutations. The abnormal cells grow and become cancerous. Different cancers arise depending on the cells infected, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Hepatocellular carcinoma occurs in hepatocytes, which are the main liver cells. This is the most common type of liver cancer affecting adults and children.
Hepatoblastoma is a rare type of cancer affecting children under the age of four. Cholangiocarcinoma is a cancer that starts from the bile ducts in the liver. Angiosarcoma or hemangiosarcoma are cancers that occur in the blood vessels of the liver, but are rare. Symptoms include an enlarged liver, nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain, weight loss, abdominal swelling, jaundice or yellowing of the skin and eyes, loss of appetite and weakness/fatigue. Treatment options include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy and liver transplantation.
Liver failure
Liver failure is a quick process that occurs within days, where the liver completely loses it function. Complications of liver failure include infections, bleeding disorders due to the liver not being able to produce clotting proteins, fluid accumulation in the brain, and kidney failure. Symptoms include sleepiness, vomiting, abdominal tenderness, jaundice, disorientation, muscle tremors, and nausea. Treatment options include liver transplant, fluid removal from the brain, medications to clot the blood, medications to detoxify drugs in the body and antibiotics for any infections present, this according to the Mayo Clinic.
All three conditions produce symptoms that may be fatal to an individual if medical attention is not received. Once these conditions reach a certain point, treatments may not be of any help.
