Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus strain that infects nearly 20,000 individuals in the United States every year, according to the University of Chicago Hospital. Approximately 55 to 80 percent of infected individuals of this acute viral hepatitis become chronic carriers of the disease, and almost 70 percent eventually develop chronic liver disease. This virus primarily affects the liver and leads to symptoms such as fever, flu-like symptoms, jaundice and liver failure. Transmission of this viral disease occurs mainly from contact with infected blood but can also occur from sexual contact and from breast milk. Medical care is needed for diagnosing and treating hepatitis C symptoms to prevent liver failure.
Liver Damage Symptoms
Symptoms of liver damage due to chronic hepatitis C include tenderness or aching in the right upper abdominal quadrant and sharp pains in the lower and middle abdominal area. Hepatitis infection can lead to cirrhosis or scarring of the liver. In many cases, the patient may not initially experience symptoms, though liver damage is detectable with blood tests.
Jaundice
The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that the most noticeable sign of liver problems is jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and eyes, and darkly colored urine. Jaundice is caused by excess bilirubin, or yellow pigment, from old, broken-down red blood cells in the body. In healthy individuals, the liver is able to process old red blood cells and excrete the bilirubin correctly. However, if the liver is damaged due to a strain of the hepatitis virus, bilirubin collects in the bloodstream and causes symptoms of jaundice.
Liver Failure
The University of Chicago Medical Center notes that liver disease due to hepatitis C is the leading reason for liver transplants in the United States. The number of deaths due to liver failure from hepatitis C is projected to rise every year.
Liver Cancer
The National Digestive Disorders Information Clearinghouse explains that the hepatitis C virus can cause liver cancer in rare cases of infected individuals. However, liver cancer usually forms after more than 20 years of chronic hepatitis C infection.
