Hepatitis is the inflammation, or irritation, of the liver by a chemical or microorganism such as hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C infection typically spreads by contamination of blood or by sexual contact. It's common in people who inject drugs, especially when it involves the sharing of needles. Hepatitis C infection causes anorexia, or loss of appetite, which may lead to weight loss.
Hepatitis C virus
Hepatitis C virus infects liver cells. Inside the liver cell, it takes over the cell's machinery and diverts resources to the production of new viruses. These new viruses exit the cell through the cell membrane but in doing so damage the membrane and destroy the cell. When the liver cell is destroyed, it releases its chemicals and enzymes into the blood. The newly formed hepatitis C viruses spread to infect other liver cells.
Associated Symptoms
Symptoms of hepatitis C infection are similar to any cause of hepatitis. Fatigue is common with hepatitis. If you have hepatitis, you experience pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen due to the swelling of the liver. You may have nausea, vomiting and weight loss over time. You may also experience anorexia, or lack of appetite, which also prevents you from getting adequate nutrition, says MedlinePlus.
Complications of Hepatitis C Infection
Hepatitis C virus causes chronic irritation of the liver, leading to fibrosis or scarring of the liver. Extensive scarring of the liver is called cirrhosis. In cirrhosis, the liver is incapable of detoxifying blood and producing blood-clotting factors. Liver cirrhosis is also associated with jaundice or yellowing of the eyes and skin. Hepatitis C infection is also a predisposition to cancer of the liver, says MayoClinic.com.
Diagnosis
To diagnose hepatitis C virus infection, a doctor draws a blood sample from a vein in the arm. The sample of blood is tested for antibodies against hepatitis C virus. Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system against a foreign particle or microorganism in the blood; this allows other cells of the immune system ingest and destroy the foreign substance. A procedure called polymerized chain reaction, or PCR, can be used to check for the presence of hepatitis C virus RNA, according to American Family Physician.
Treatment
If you have hepatitis C virus infection, you may be treated with intramuscular or subcutaneous administration of interferon alpha 2a or orally with ribavirin, says CDC.gov. These two drugs reduce the concentration of liver enzymes in the blood, which also means they decrease inflammation of the liver.
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