The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse declares that 4.1 million Americans are affected with hepatitis C, a deadly virus of the liver that is transmitted through blood. There is no cure for hepatitis C. According to MayoClinic.com, hepatitis C is usually an asymptomatic disease for the first 10 to 20 years of infection. The end symptoms of hepatitis C are reflective of liver failure, cancer or cirrhosis.
Fatigue
One of the many functions of the liver is to remove waste products from the body. When the liver is not functioning due to scarring of the organ by the hepatitis virus, it cannot cleanse the blood. Toxins then build up in the body, causing sporadic bouts of fatigue at first, then progressing to a continuous lack of energy as the disease destroys the liver.
Jaundice
The term "jaundice" refers to a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. A healthy liver removes bilirubin, or the end product of broken down red blood cells, from the body. Jaundice is a sign of liver failure, and is a common end symptom of hepatitis C. This inability to cleanse the body of bilirubin can lead to other symptoms presented as skin disorders such as itching, rashes and abrasions.
Ascites and Pain
According to Hepatitis Central, ascites is a main symptom indicative of liver failure from hepatitis C. This is the swelling of the abdomen with or without edema, also known as swelling in the extremities. Although ascites is an end stage symptom of hepatitis C, it can be controlled in the early stages with dietary changes, diuretics and paracentesis, or the withdrawal of excessive fluid from the peritoneal, or abdominal, cavity. The fluid withdrawn can be used to test for malignancies or infection. As an end symptom, pain can occur across the abdomen, in the right shoulder or present at the liver in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen.
