What are the first signs of Hep C in females?

What is the first symptom seen in hepatitis?

Symptoms of chronic viral hepatitis can take decades to develop. Symptoms of hepatitis can include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice.

What does hep C pain feel like?

Pains in the upper part of the abdomen

This can cause generalised abdominal pains that can result in quite severe discomfort. Many people with chronic HCV suffer from aches and pains in their joints. A variety of different joints can be involved but the most common are in the hands and wrists.

How long can you have hep C before knowing?

People who have been very recently infected with HCV might not yet have developed antibody levels high enough to be detected by the anti-HCV test. The window period for acute HCV infection before the detection of antibodies averages 8 to 11 weeks, with a reported range of 2 weeks to 6 months.

What is hep C symptoms female?

Hepatitis C symptoms in women

fatigue. itching. muscle weakness. nausea.

What are the early signs and symptoms of Hepatitis B & C? | Apollo Hospitals

How can you tell if someone has hep C?

A blood test, called an HCV antibody test, is used to find out if someone has ever been infected with the hepatitis C virus. This test, sometimes called the anti-HCV test, looks for antibodies, which are proteins released into the bloodstream when someone gets infected with the virus that causes hepatitis C.

What part of the body does hep C affect?

Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. The virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness to a serious, lifelong illness including liver cirrhosis and cancer.

Does Hep C show up in routine blood tests?

Many people think that because they've had a blood test, they will have automatically been tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C and therefore don't have to worry. In most situations this is not the case.

How long does it take for Hep C to destroy your liver?

After many years some people will have minimal liver damage with no scarring while others can progress to cirrhosis (extensive scarring of the liver) within less than ten years. On average it takes about twenty years for significant liver scarring to develop.

What are the late stages of Hep C?

End-stage hepatitis C means the liver has been severely damaged by the hepatitis C virus. The hepatitis C virus slowly damages the liver over many years, often progressing from inflammation to permanent, irreversible scarring (cirrhosis).

Does hep C make your legs hurt?

Hepatitis C and Arthritis

The same virus causing hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) can also cause rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of the joints, and pain and weakness in the muscles and connective tissue. This pain can occur in the feet, ankles, knees and elsewhere in the body.

Does hep C cause stomach bloating?

In both acute and chronic hepatitis C infection some people may experience symptoms such as exhaustion, pain in the limbs, nausea, flatulence, feelings of fullness, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, pale-coloured stools or dark urine; however, these are all rather non-specific symptoms.

Does hep C affect your joints?

The hepatitis C virus - often referred to as HCV - is the leading cause of liver failure and the top reason for needing a liver transplant. Besides hepatitis (liver inflammation), this virus can also cause arthritis (joint inflammation), muscle pain and weakness, and vascular (blood vessel) problems.

Is it obvious if you have hepatitis?

Short-term (acute) hepatitis often has no noticeable symptoms, so you may not realise you have it. If symptoms do develop, they can include: muscle and joint pain. a high temperature.

Where do you feel hepatitis pain?

Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially on the upper right side beneath your lower ribs, which is over your liver.

What can be mistaken for hepatitis?

Hepatitis A (HAV) spreads when a person ingests food or beverages, including water, contaminated with stool containing the virus. Symptoms of infection are usually mild and can be mistaken for the flu – fatigue, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, and loss of appetite.

What is the main cause of hep C?

Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood from an infected person. Today, most people become infected with the hepatitis C virus by sharing needles or other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs.

What happens if you test positive for hep C?

► If you have a reactive antibody test and a positive NAT for HCV RNA, you will need to talk to a doctor about treatment. Treatments are available that can cure most people with hepatitis C in 8 to 12 weeks.

Can your body fight off hep C on its own?

Can hepatitis C go away on its own? Yes. From 15% to 20% of people with hep C clear it from their bodies without treatment. It's more likely to happen in women and people who have symptoms.

How long after Hep C exposure will you test positive?

How long does it take to test positive? If you've been exposed to hepatitis C, it takes about 1-2 weeks for viral particles (called HCV RNA) to be found. Liver function tests also tend to rise during this timeframe. Hepatitis C antibodies appear after RNA is detectable and can take 3-12 weeks to appear.

Can Hep C be found in urine?

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA can be detected in body fluids such as urine. However, because of deficiencies in established isolation and detection methods, the actual prevalence and form of HCV RNA in the urine of patients with hepatitis C remain unclear.

How contagious is Hep C?

Persons with acute hepatitis C virus infection are generally contagious from one or more weeks before the onset of symptoms. The contagious period is indefinite in chronically infected persons. All persons who test positive should be considered to be potentially contagious.

Does hep C make you gain weight?

Substantial weight gain is common after hepatitis C cure, an analysis of a large cohort shows, and around one in five people with normal body weight became overweight within two years, US Veterans Affairs researchers report in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

How can I test myself for hep C?

How At-Home Tests for HCV Work. When a person is infected with hepatitis C, their body produces certain proteins, called antibodies, which help fight the virus. HCV self-tests work by detecting those antibodies in a blood sample. This at-home sample is collected and then sent to a centralized lab for testing.

What does hep C do to your feet?

With hepatitis C, fluid can build up in your legs, ankles and feet because of leaks in your smallest blood vessels. (We call this edema.) If your disease progresses, you may also develop a condition called pruritus, which makes your skin very itchy. Often, the itching is isolated on your hands and feet.