Hepatitis C is an infection involving the liver. The infection transfers from person to person through contact with infected blood. Sharing drug needles and sexual contact are common modes of transmission. Hepatitis C may cause an acute or chronic infection in those affected. Up to 85 percent of infected people develop chronic hepatitis C, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Acute infections typically lead to the chronic form of the disease. Hepatitis C causes inflammation, with symptoms varying from mild to life-threatening. Recognizing the signs of the infection may help prevent permanent liver damage by beginning treatment options.
Asymptomatic Phase
For many people with a hepatitis C infection, no signs or symptoms present for many years. The first signs of liver failure may not occur for decades after the initial hepatitis infection. Other signs of the infection are mild enough that a person doesn't recognize them as hepatitis symptoms, or he dismisses them as another common illness, such as the flu. About 67 percent of people infected with the hepatitis C virus have no obvious symptoms of the illness until the liver develops severe scaring called cirrhosis, according to the Merck Manual of Health Information.
Flu-like Symptoms
A hepatitis C infection causes flu-like symptoms. These symptoms include fatigue, generalized feelings of sickness, muscle aches and joint pains. Many people experience symptoms of gastric distress, such as nausea, vomiting or a decreased appetite. Low-grade fevers are common with acute hepatitis C infections. The flu-like symptoms may decrease and reappear weeks later as the infection becomes chronic. As the inflammation of the liver continues, a person may feel tenderness or pain at the location of the liver--the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. In acute cases of hepatitis C, the person may experience recovery in one to two months.
Jaundice
One function of the liver is to break down old red blood cells in the body and filter them to the intestinal tract to leave the body. As inflammation occurs in the liver, this function is not as effective. As the red blood cells rupture, bilirubin releases from the cells. If the bilirubin doesn't leave the body, it begins to build up. This buildup of bilirubin causes the skin and white portion of the eyes to turn yellow. This yellowing, referred to as jaundice, is a sign of liver failure.
