Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common blood-borne illness in the United States and it has been under the radar. It’s not talked about much, so even though it affects millions, many people don’t know about it. It’s almost been forgotten. People live with it for years or even decades with no symptoms, while Hep C slowly damages their liver. By the time symptoms do appear, liver damage is often advanced. Left untreated, Hep C can cause liver damage, liver cancer, and even death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all Baby Boomers (born 1945 – 1965) get tested for Hep C. The reason is that 3.5 million people in the U.S. have Hep C but about half don’t know they have it. Hep C isn’t part of routine blood work, so, if you are a baby boomer, you should ask to get tested at your next doctor visit. If you have Hep C, it can be cured. People born between 1945- 1965 are five times more likely than other age groups to have Hep C. Many Baby Boomers have been infected for 20 years or more, yet they have no symptoms.

How is Hepatitis C spread?

Hepatitis C is usually spread when blood from a person infected with Hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. Today, most people become infected with the Hepatitis C virus by sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs. Before 1992, when widespread screening of the blood supply began in the United States, Hepatitis C was also commonly spread through transfusions and organ transplants. People can become infected with the Hepatitis C virus during such activities as:

• Sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment to inject drugs

• Needlestick injuries in health care settings

• Being born to a mother who has Hepatitis C

Less commonly, a person can also get Hepatitis C virus infection through:

• Sharing personal care items that may have come in contact with another person’s blood, such as razors or toothbrushes

• Having sexual contact with a person infected with the Hepatitis C virus

What are the symptoms of Hep C? Approximately 70-80 percent of people with acute Hepatitis C do not have any symptoms. Some people, however, can have mild to severe symptoms soon after being infected.

Those symptoms include:

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Loss of appetite

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Abdominal pain

• Dark urine

• Clay-colored bowel movements

• Joint pain

• Jaundice (yellow color in the skin or eyes)

Baby Boomers are not the only people who should be tested for Hepatitis C. Others include:

• Current or former injection drug users, even if you injected only one time or many years ago.

• You were treated for a blood clotting problem before 1987.

• You received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before July 1992.

• You are on long-term hemodialysis treatment.

• You have abnormal liver tests or liver disease.

• You work in health care or public safety and were exposed to blood through a needle stick or other sharp object injury.

• You are infected with HIV.

What blood tests are used for Hepatitis C?

Several different blood tests are used to test for Hepatitis C. A doctor may order just one or a combination of these tests. Typically, a person will first get a screening test that will show whether he or she has developed antibodies to the Hepatitis C virus. (An antibody is a substance found in the blood that the body produces in response to a virus.) Having a positive antibody test means that a person was exposed to the virus at some time in his or her life. If the antibody test is positive, a doctor will most likely order a second test to confirm whether the virus is still present in the person’s bloodstream.

Treatment

Can acute Hepatitis C be treated?

Yes, acute hepatitis C can be treated. Acute infection can clear on its own without treatment in about 25 percent of people. If acute Hepatitis C is diagnosed, treatment does reduce the risk that acute Hepatitis C will become a chronic infection. Acute Hepatitis C is treated with the same medications used to treat chronic Hepatitis C. However, the optimal treatment and when it should be started remains uncertain.

Can chronic Hepatitis C be treated?

Yes. There are several medications available to treat chronic Hepatitis C, including new treatments that appear to be more effective and fewer side effects that previous options. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a complete list of approved treatment for Hepatitis C:

(http://www.fda.gov/forpatients/illness/hepatitisbc/ucm408658.htm)

Is it possible to get over Hepatitis C?

Yes, approximately 15-25 percent of people who get Hepatitis C will clear the virus from their bodies without treatment and will not develop chronic infection. Experts do not fully understand why this happens for some people.

What can a person with chronic Hepatitis C do to take care of his or her liver?

People with chronic Hepatitis C should be monitored regularly by an experienced doctor. They should avoid alcohol because it can cause additional liver damage. They also should check with a health professional before taking any prescription pills, supplements, or over-the-counter medications, as these can potentially damage the liver. If liver damage is present, a person should check with his or her doctor about getting vaccinated against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.

Remember, the only way to know for sure if you have Hepatitis C is to get tested.

Please contact the Sampson County Health Department for further information. We are here to serve the citizens of Sampson County. If you have any questions, please call 910-592-1131, ext. 4248 and leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

By Peggy H. Pollock, RN

Sampson County Health Department