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.
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, or HCV. The virus spreads primarily through contaminated blood. More than 80 percent of hepatitis C infections become chronic, which may lead to fatal liver disea...
The hepatitis C virus attacks the liver, causing 15 percent of all acute viral hepatitis cases, 60 to 70 percent of chronic hepatitis cases and up to 50 percent of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and liver cancer. Some patie...
This virus causes long-lasting liver inflammation in affected people. Though many people with hepatitis C do not experience symptoms, symptomatic people can develop stools changes indicative of liver disease. People who exhibit...
Seventy-five percent of people with acute hepatitis C infection develop chronic hepatitis C, and 20 to 30 percent of these develop cirrhosis, severe scarring of the liver, the Merck Manual reports. Only around 20 to 30 percent ...
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, an...
Approximately 4,500 cases of acute hepatitis B were officially recorded in the United States in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms appear when hepatitis B is in it's acute stage. Childr...
Before 1992 and the refinement of screening techniques, MayoClinic.com indicates that a person also could get the infection from blood transfusions in the United States. This disease of the liver does not usually present sympto...
Hepatitis C can spread by direct contact with human blood. “Approximately 80 percent of persons who share needles to inject drugs are infected with HCV,” according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. People...
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). During the final stage of this deadly disease, the patient is likely to experience rapid deteriorating in his cognitive functions. This condition is called h...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 43,000 new HBV infections occurred in the U.S. in 2007, but the official number is much lower as many infected people experience no symptoms at all or even know that...
Since the virus can live outside the human body for seven days or longer, transmission might also occur through contact with household objects used by an infected person. Most children under the age of 5 are asymptomatic, but b...
Many people remain asymptomatic, but up to 50 percent of infected adults and children over the age of five may experience one or more symptoms up to six months after infection.
An infant can become infected because the mother is infected. It is possible for an infected baby to show no signs of illness, but fever, fatigue, vomiting and jaundice are the most common infant symptoms of hepatitis B.
Though this condition can develop in people of any age, hepatic hemangiomas most commonly affect people between the ages of 30 and 50, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) explains. Hepatic hemangioma symptoms can be difficu...
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 43,000 new cases of hepatitis B were reported in United States in 2007. However, the CDC estimates that the actual incidence might be tenfolds higher prim...
Infant males may become infected from an infected mother through the umbilical cord. About 70 percent of men who have Hepatitis B show symptoms of the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ...
Liver swelling and inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a medical condition known as hepatitis C. This virus is typically transmitted through contact with infected body fluids, such as blood, semen or vaginal f...
Symptoms for the contagious liver disease Hepatitis B appear in about 70 percent of adults according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A fairly common transmission route for Hepatitis B unique to women oc...
This virus is most commonly spread through engaging in sexual activities with an infected partner. Men who are intimate with other men, especially men who have multiple intimate partners, are at an increased risk of developing ...
Hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver. Several common viruses, designated by letters, cause hepatitis. Hepatitis A, B and C, the most common types of hepatitis, the Centers for Disease Control states, infect around 8...
While the disease varies in severity from person to person, the American Gastroenterological Association states 20 percent to 30 percent of people with chronic hepatitis C develop cirrhosis of the liver. Prior to the developmen...
The disease typically is transmitted from contaminated blood via a shared syringe, which means the people who get the infection most often are illegal intravenous drug users such as heroin addicts. There may be no symptoms of t...
Hepatitis B refers to a serious inflammation of the liver that results from being infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). According to EMedicine.com, over 90 percent of healthy individuals will fight off this infection and r...
Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver. It is spread through blood, semen or bodily fluids. If you think you might have put yourself at risk for hepatitis B or have symptoms, you should see your doctor so that you can ge...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 70 to 80 percent of people with this virus do not experience symptoms. People who experience symptoms of Hepatitis C often become ill 6 to 7 weeks after
Acute hepatitis can be caused by such a virus or by medications, alcohol or chemicals that damage the liver. Hepatitis cases are termed acute when the condition lasts less than six months, according to NetDoctor UK. No matter w...
The infection is acute and short term or becomes chronic and continues to cause problems for the infected individual for the rest of his life. Vaccines are available to prevent contracting the virus, according to the Centers fo...
Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver by HBV, or the hepatitis B virus, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hepatitis C is also an infection of the liver; it is caused by the hepatitis C virus, also called HCV. Of the several hepa...
Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) that causes inflammation of the liver. The virus is found in the blood and can be transmitted when bodily fluids come in contact with a break in the skin or a mucous membrane...
It is very important that all mothers get tested for Hepatitis B during their pregnancy. If they test positive, their baby can receive vaccinations that may prevent them from contracting the disease. If a baby is exposed to hep...
The disease can be contracted through infected blood, sexual contact and from mother to child in childbirth, according to the National Library of Medicine. Often times, the disease will yield no symptoms for years. In the end s...
Hepatitis is a condition in which the liver becomes inflamed and the liver cells suffer damage, which can be permanent. There are different causes of hepatitis, including viruses and other infectious agents; medicines and toxin...
Hepatitis C is a disease that infects the liver and causes it to be inflamed. A person may not even realize that he has been infected with the virus, although some people do report a couple of symptoms such as body aches and fa...
The chronic hepatitis C infection remains in the person's body. Hepatitis C may start with a fever, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting and fatigue. In the advanced stages of hepatitis C, the symptoms are much more severe.
It can be mild and last a few weeks or be severe and chronic. In severe cases, hepatitis C can be life threatening. Prevention is your best defense against this disease. Lookout for a range of symptoms that are suggestive of th...
Hepatitis C is a virus that affects the liver and is passed through contact with contaminated blood. Patients, however, usually do not display symptoms when they first contract hepatitis C. The National Institutes of Health (NI...
Hepatitis B can be acute or chronic and is spread only through blood or other bodily fluids. Hepatitis C is almost always chronic and is spread only by blood. As you might expect, the symptoms of each virus also vary.
Depending on its viral source, hepatitis can be of the A, B or C variety. Alcohol and drug abuse can lead to the disease. Some people with hepatitis experience few if any symptoms, especially in the early stages of the virus. H...
When a doctor attempts to identify hepatitis A symptoms, he may ask the patient about experiences over the course of the previous two to six weeks. The doctor asks this question because symptoms of hepatitis A typically appear...
Hepatitis C can be a confusing and mysterious illness. Although it's a chronic inflammation of the liver, it can be difficult to identify the symptoms. Many people infected with Hepatitis C actually have the disease for years ...
When diagnosing hepatitis B, doctors frequently start by asking questions about recent behaviors that may have put a person at risk for the virus. Such behaviors include unprotected sexual activity, sharing needles for drugs o...