Hepatitis C: When to seek medical help?

Hepatitis C is a common liver infection which can cause both acute and chronic liver disease. Although it is usually a mild condition, hepatitis C is much more likely to lead to chronic liver disease as compared to hepatitis B infection.

Consult a doctor if you have one or more of the following symptoms suggestive of some significant medical problem:

• loss of appetite (which lasts for more than a few days)
• fever (that lasts for more than a few days)
• often feeling tired (fatigue) or exhausted
• nausea and vomiting that does not go away in 1-2 days
• recurrent vomiting that makes retaining fluid and food difficult
• pain in abdomen (located over the liver that is on the right side of the abdomen, under the lower rib cage)
• jaundice (yellowish discoloration of skin and the whites of the eyes)
• dark coloured urine (the colour of cola or tea)
• pale stools (greyish or clay coloured).

These are some symptoms suggestive of liver infection because of hepatitis C virus. However similar signs and symptoms can be caused by many other liver infections. If your doctor suspects liver disease he or she will do tests to confirm the cause of your symptoms and treat you accordingly.

Consult your doctor immediately or go to a hospital emergency department if you develop one or more of the following symptoms:

• mental changes such as confusion, lethargy, extreme sleepiness, stupor or hallucinations (hepatic encephalopathy)
• Extreme weakness or fatigue
• Confusion or difficulty in concentrating
• recurrent vomiting and cannot keep down any fluids.
• severe pain or high fever.
• Increasing Jaundice

These are some symptoms suggestive of a severe liver disease. You should consult your doctor if you think you may have been exposed to a person with hepatitis C infection.