| This disorder is a disease of the liver, which is caused | | | | percentage of people can have the disease but not |
| by the hepatitis C virus, also known as HCV. The | | | | be troubled by it at all, as it can lie dormant for |
| early symptoms of this disease may be extreme | | | | several years. In fact, these people may only find out |
| fatigue, which the patient may ignore until they | | | | about it when they need to have a blood test for |
| develop other symptoms. These later symptoms | | | | some reason. |
| include abdominal pain, clay colored stools, darker | | | | Any patient who has chronic hepatitis C will |
| colored urine and the skin turning yellow, which is | | | | eventually develop cirrhosis of the liver. This will do |
| called jaundice. Of the patients who have acute | | | | irreparable damage and cause scarring which stops |
| hepatitis C about 25% will be able to make a | | | | the liver functioning correctly. Fortunately this can |
| complete recovery. Unfortunately the remaining | | | | take a long time to occur, as long as 20 years from |
| percentage will be stuck with it permanently. This is | | | | when the disease first appears. A number of these |
| termed as chronic hepatitis C. | | | | patients can go on to develop liver cancer, but again |
| Several years ago, the most common way that | | | | this can take a very long time to appear. |
| hepatitis C was transferred to other patients was | | | | Because there is no vaccine to hepatitis C, trying to |
| thought to be by tainted blood used in transfusions, | | | | prevent it occurring in the first place is the only thing |
| but nowadays the blood testing procedures have | | | | that an individual can do to lessen the risk factors. |
| improved considerably, and the risk is now very small. | | | | The easiest way to avoid contracting hepatitis is |
| These days the highest risk group is illegal drug users. | | | | basic cleanliness and vaccinations. Contracting any |
| The sharing of any equipment or appliance which has | | | | disease is frightening, but hepatitis can be more |
| any blood or bodily fluids on it when taking drugs is a | | | | traumatic because of its confusing nature and also |
| simple way of transferring this disease. | | | | because you might not show any symptoms of |
| The puzzling aspect of chronic hepatitis C is that a | | | | having it. |