What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is present in all parts of the world and affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures. About 58 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis C.
Without treatment, hepatitis C can cause serious liver damage (cirrhosis) and liver cancer.
If you get hepatitis C your body will try to fight the virus. 1 in 4 people will get rid of the virus within 12 months without having treatment. This is called acute hepatitis C. The remaining 75% will continue to have the virus in their body. This is called chronic (long-term) hepatitis C. Without medical treatment about 1/3 of people with chronic hepatitis C will develop symptoms and liver damage.
Fortunately, there is a cure for hepatitis C.
Symptoms of hepatitis C
People with hepatitis C often do not have any symptoms. The only way to know if you have hepatitis C is to have a blood test.
For those who do develop symptoms, it can take about 2 to 12 weeks for symptoms to appear. They may feel like they have the flu, have dark urine, and develop yellow skin and eyes (jaundice).
Even people with chronic (long-term) hepatitis C may not feel sick until their liver has become badly damaged. This can take many years. The symptoms may be:
abdominal (stomach) pain on the right side of your body
aches, pains and fevers
anxiety or depression
diabetes
dry eyes and dry mouth
fatigue and sleep problems
nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite (not feeling hungry)
skin rashes or itchy skin
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