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Symptoms of Hepatitis C

Most people do not experience any symptoms when they first become infected with hepatitis C. There may be vague flu-like symptoms including fatigue, loss of appetite, joint pains and nausea some weeks after being infected.

In approximately 20% of people the virus is cleared from the body by the immune system within six months.

For others, the virus remains active (chronic hepatitis C), but may not cause any symptoms throughout their life or for many years. During this time you can however pass the virus on to others by sharing needles etc.

Some infected people remain well throughout their life and develop no damage or problems to the liver.

Others with chronic hepatitis C will develop some symptoms of liver damage such as: weight loss, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, alcohol intolerance, pain over the liver and jaundice (this causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to become yellow. It may also turn your urine very dark and your stools (faeces) may become pale)

Approximately 20% of those with chronic hepatitis C infection develop cirrhosis(scarring of the liver) over a period of about 20-30 years. A few of those people then go on to develop liver cancer or complete liver failure.

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