Ask a doctor - What are Hepatitis C symptoms?

Q. What are Hepatitis C symptoms?

Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.

Answered by Secondmedic Expert

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It can cause an acute illness with symptoms that last anywhere from a few weeks to several months, or it may become a chronic infection resulting in long-term complications.

The most common symptoms of Hepatitis C include: fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain/discomfort, dark urine and light-colored stools. More serious signs are jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), confusion or delirium and easy bruising/bleeding. In addition to these physical manifestations there may be psychological distress associated with diagnosis and treatment such as depression and anxiety which can negatively affect everyone’s quality life.

Other symptoms associated with HCV include: fever; joint pain; muscle aches; headaches; enlarged liver; swelling in your legs, feet or abdomen due to fluid buildup referred to as ascites; itching all over your body due to build up of toxins in your bloodstream known as cholestasis. Long-term complications if left untreated include liver cancer or cirrhosis — irreversible scarring that destroys healthy tissue and compromises normal functioning — eventually leading death.

If you think you might have any potential symptoms related to Hepatitis C it is important that you seek medical attention immediately for testing and evaluation so that proper care can be taken early on before any further health issues arise from this potentially deadly disease. With treatments like direct acting antiviral available today which usually cure people within 8–12 weeks - prompt action increases chances for successful management tremendously!