Hepatitis C

Generality

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the HCV virus (or hepatitis C virus). It is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, for example through the exchange of syringes between drug addicts or, as happened in the past, through transfusions; rare, but still possible, sexual infection.

Hepatitis C virus can cause major liver diseases, including cirrhosis and cancer; in the most serious cases, organ transplantation is the only solution to save the patient's life. Despite this, the majority of the infected do not complain of particular symptoms and remain unaware of the disease until, after many years of infection, it begins with sometimes severe symptoms.

Among the six types of viruses implicated in the onset of hepatitis (in addition to C we recall the A, B, D, E and G), the HCV is probably the most dangerous, both for the seriousness of its repercussions in the long term, both because there is no vaccine capable of preventing contagion (instead available for hepatitis A and B).

Insights

Symptoms Complications and course of the disease Contagion and causes Risk FactorsDiagnosisPrevention Care and Treatment Drugs for the treatment of Hepatitis C Diet and Hepatitis C

Symptoms

To learn more: Symptoms Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is often asymptomatic, especially in the early stages. When present, the symptoms are rather vague and mostly limited to the appearance of nausea, lack of appetite, physical fatigue, intolerance to alcohol and fatty foods and small pains accentuated by palpation in the liver area.

In the absence of treatment, most hepatitis C infections become chronic, gradually undermining liver health. Also in this case, the patient can feel good and not feel particular problems, even for decades. In an advanced stage, liver changes are accompanied by important symptoms, such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), itching in different parts of the body, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and mild fever.

Complications and course of the disease

Unlike what happens for hepatitis B, which in adulthood resolves spontaneously in 90-95% of cases, only a small part of patients suffering from hepatitis C is able to heal without drugs and without experiencing permanent damage (estimated percentage around at 15%). As a result, more than eight out of ten people will develop a chronic infection, which, in most cases, will proceed asymptomatically for decades. Among these individuals, around 30% will develop, after 10-30 years (in relation to the presence or otherwise of other predisposing factors, such as hepatitis B, HIV, alcoholism, etc.) a serious and irreversible disease of liver called cirrhosis. Although it may be almost asymptomatic in its initial stage, cirrhosis predisposes to very important diseases, such as liver failure and liver cancer.

Hepatitis C also increases the risk that some cells of the lymphatic system are transformed into a neoplastic (lymphoma).

Contagion and causes

In itself, the hepatitis C virus is not particularly infectious and aggressive, which is why some methods of infection, although possible, are quite rare.

Subject to Risk

Everyone can contract hepatitis C, but at greater risk are:

drug addicts
subjects who underwent a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992

Most infected people were infected with blood transfusions received before 1992, when a virus screening was developed. The exchange of infected needles and syringes is another classic way of infection; for this reason hepatitis C is quite common among drug addicts.

The risk of transmission from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth is low, estimated at around 5%; it increases if the parturient is also infected by the HIV virus and has a high viremia.

In rare cases, hepatitis C is contracted sexually, which is instead a common mode of infection of HBV and other sexually transmitted diseases (AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia).

Sporadic, but still possible, cases of infection from the use of non-sterile instruments (for tattoos - body piercing - acupuncture etc.), from the common use of razors, toothbrushes and scissors, or, especially in the home and in the workplace, from accidental wounds with needles infected by viremic patients.

Hepatitis C cannot be contracted through contaminated food and drink, often involved in the transmission of hepatitis A.