Recognizing the symptoms of acute and chronic hepatitis c & bull; hello healthy

Hepatitis C is the most dangerous inflammatory liver disease of all types of hepatitis. The reason is, this disease can cause serious long-term impacts. In addition, the symptoms of hepatitis C are also difficult to detect. Symptoms generally do not appear until the disease has progressed to a chronic course.

This condition causes many people not to realize that they are infected with hepatitis C until they end up suffering permanent liver damage a few years later. Therefore, it is important that you recognize the signs and symptoms of hepatitis C as early as possible.

Acute and chronic hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) which gets into it as a result of continuous contact with infected blood.

Transmission of this disease can be through the process of blood transfusions, injection of drugs into blood vessels, organ transplants, and a small part is transmitted through sexual contact.

Based on the length of time the virus has been infected, hepatitis C is classified into two types.

Acute hepatitis C occurs when HCV infection lasts for 6 months. If the viral infection continues for more than 6 months and can even persist in the long term, the disease will develop into chronic hepatitis.

The most likely progression of viral infection from acute to chronic (80%) in people with hepatitis C.

Each stage of infection in hepatitis C shows different signs and symptoms of hepatitis C.

Symptoms of acute hepatitis C

The period of acute HCV infection lasts from the first time an infected person comes into contact with the virus until the virus starts to replicate.

In this period the symptoms do not necessarily appear, nearly 80% of people who contract hepatitis C do not experience significant health problems.

However, that does not mean that acute hepatitis C does not cause health problems at all. Symptoms of acute hepatitis C can appear after 2-12 weeks of infection.

Although the symptoms that appear are not typical symptoms, it is still difficult to distinguish them from other types of hepatitis.

These symptoms can include:

• Mild fever
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Pain in muscles and joints
• The urine is dark and concentrated
• Pale stool
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Pain in the abdomen or upper abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting

Jaundice (jaundice) or jaundice can also be experienced by people with acute hepatitis C. About 20% of people show yellowing skin and eyes during HCV infection.

When the immune system succeeds in paralyzing the viral infection within a few months, an infected person will no longer experience symptoms of hepatitis C.

Similar health problems can reappear when infected with other types of HCV.

Symptoms of chronic hepatitis C

Chances of developing chronic hepatitis C symptoms are higher than in acute hepatitis C. However, an infection that lasts more than 6 months does not always cause symptoms.

Symptoms of chronic hepatitis can only appear when the infection has been going on for years.

If symptoms appear, the signs and health problems shown can vary widely. As chronic infection progresses, symptoms can appear suddenly then disappear and come back again at any time.

The following are some of the advanced symptoms commonly experienced by people with chronic hepatitis C:

• Fatigue all the time
• Experiencing decreased cognitive abilities such as frequent forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Pain when passing urine
• The color of the stool turns pale
• The urine is dark and concentrated
• Itching of the skin
• Bleeds easily
• Bruising easily
• Swollen foot
• Depression
• Lose weight
• Jaundice (jaundice), which is the skin and eyes that turn yellow

Symptoms due to complications

If you don't get treatment, chronic hepatitis C can lead to complications in the form of serious liver diseases, such as cirrhosis, liver cancer, and permanent liver failure.

When there is a chronic infection, the function of the liver is hampered by inflammation, but the liver can still function normally.

However, if the inflammation continues for a long time, it can harden the liver or fibrosis.

This is usually characterized by a large proportion of the liver cells being damaged.

However, the timing of these complications can vary from person to person. In cirrhosis, for example, this disease can occur after a chronic infection has lasted 20 to 30 years.

Health problems that arise due to complications will be more severe than the symptoms of chronic hepatitis C, such as:

• Jaundice (jaundice), which is the skin and eyes that turn yellow
• Dark stool
• Vomiting blood
• Swelling of the legs and upper abdomen due to fluid accumulation
• Bruising and bleeding easily

Keep in mind that the symptoms of hepatitis C that have been mentioned are not typical symptoms so they can be similar to the symptoms of other hepatitis and even other liver diseases.

Therefore, you should not assume or self-diagnose that you have hepatitis C.

It will be very dangerous if you end up taking medicines for hepatitis C without your doctor's supervision.

When to see a doctor

To confirm whether you are positive for HCV infection, you should immediately consult a doctor when you experience various health problems as mentioned above.

After analyzing a number of hepatitis C symptoms that you are experiencing, the doctor will next ask you to undergo a number of blood tests to diagnose whether you are positive for infection.

Even if you do not experience the symptoms of hepatitis C as mentioned before, but are worried about being infected due to contact with infected blood, it never hurts to undergo a hepatitis C test.

In hepatitis C, early detection is needed to prevent the disease from developing chronic and causing complications.

x