What I need to know

about Hepatitis C about Hepatitis C

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

U.S. Department

of Health and

Human Services
What I need to know

about Hepatitis C

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
16

Contents

What is hepatitis C? ................................................ 1

What causes hepatitis C?........................................ 1

How could I get hepatitis C? .................................. 2

Could I get hepatitis C from

a blood transfusion? ................................................ 3

What are the symptoms? ........................................ 4

What are the tests for hepatitis C? ........................ 5

How is hepatitis C treated? .................................... 6

How can I protect myself? ...................................... 7

For More Information ............................................ 8

More in the Series................................................... 9

Acknowledgments................................................. 10
1

Liver

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a liver disease.

Hepatitis (HEP-ah-TY-tis)

makes your liver swell and

stops it from working right.

You need a healthy liver.

The liver does many

things to keep you

alive. The liver fights

infections and stops

bleeding. It removes

drugs and other poisons

from your blood. The

liver also stores energy

for when you need it.

What causes hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is caused by a virus.

A virus is a germ that causes sickness. (For example,

the flu is caused by a virus.) People can pass viruses

to each other. The virus that causes hepatitis C is

called the hepatitis C virus.
2

How could I get hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is spread by contact with an

infected person’s blood.

You could get hepatitis C by

● sharing drug needles

● getting pricked with

a needle that has

infected blood on it

(hospital workers can

get hepatitis C this

way)

● having sex with an

infected person, especially if you or your

partner has other sexually transmitted diseases

● being born to a mother with hepatitis C

In rare cases, you could get hepatitis C by

● getting a tattoo or body piercing with

unsterilized, dirty tools

You can NOT get hepatitis C by

● shaking hands with an infected person

● hugging an infected person

● kissing an infected person

● sitting next to an infected person

You could get hepatitis C

by sharing drug needles.
3

A doctor can test you for hepatitis C.

Could I get hepatitis C

from a blood transfusion?

If you had a blood transfusion or organ

transplant before 1992, you might have

hepatitis C.

Before 1992, doctors could not check blood for

hepatitis C, and some people received infected

blood. If you had a blood transfusion or organ

transplant before 1992, ask a doctor to test you

for hepatitis C. (See “What are the tests for

hepatitis C?” on page 5.)
4

What are the symptoms?

Many people with hepatitis C don’t have

symptoms.

However, some people with hepatitis C feel like

they have the flu.

So, you might

● feel tired

● feel sick to your

stomach

● have a fever

● not want to eat

● have stomach

pain

● have diarrhea

Some people have

● dark yellow urine

● light-colored stools

● yellowish eyes and skin

If you have symptoms or think you might have

hepatitis C, go to a doctor.
5

What are the tests for hepatitis C?

To check for hepatitis C, the doctor

will test your blood.

These tests show if you have hepatitis C and how

serious it is.

The doctor may also do a liver biopsy.

A biopsy (BYE-op-see) is a simple test. The doctor

removes a tiny piece of your liver through a needle.

The doctor checks the piece of liver for signs of

hepatitis C and liver damage.

The doctor will take some blood to check for hepatitis C.
6

Hepatitis C is treated through

shots of medicine.

How is hepatitis C treated?

Hepatitis C is treated with a drug called

peginterferon, usually in combination with the

drug ribavirin.

You may need surgery if you have hepatitis C for

many years. Over time, hepatitis C can cause your

liver to stop working. If that happens, you will need

a new liver. The surgery is called a liver transplant.

It involves taking out the old, damaged liver and

putting in a new, healthy one from a donor.
7

How can I protect myself?

You can protect yourself and others from

hepatitis C.

● Don’t share drug needles with anyone.

● Wear gloves if you have to touch anyone’s blood.

● If you have several sex partners, use a condom

during sex.

● Don’t use an infected person’s toothbrush,

razor, or anything else that could have blood

on it.

● If you get a tattoo or body piercing, make sure

it is done with clean tools.

● If you have hepatitis C, don’t give your blood

or plasma. The person who receives it could

become infected with the virus.

If you inject

drugs, use your

own needles.
8

For More Information

You can also get information about hepatitis C

from these groups:

American Liver Foundation (ALF)

75 Maiden Lane, Suite 603

New York, NY 10038–4810

Phone: 1–800–GO–LIVER (465–4837),

1–888–4HEP–USA (443–7872),

or (212) 668–1000

Fax: (212) 483–8179

Email: info@liverfoundation.org

Internet: www.liverfoundation.org

Hepatitis Foundation International (HFI)

504 Blick Drive

Silver Spring, MD 20904-2901

Phone: 1–800–891–0707 or (301) 622–4200

Fax: (301) 622–4702

Email: hfi@comcast.net

Internet: www.hepfi.org
9

More in the Series

There are other types of hepatitis. The National

Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse also

has booklets about hepatitis A and hepatitis B:

● What I need to know about Hepatitis A

● What I need to know about Hepatitis B

You can get a free copy of each of these booklets

by calling 1–800–891–5389 or (301) 654–3810, or by

writing to

NDDIC

2 Information Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3570

Hepatitis information for health professionals is

also available.
10

Acknowledgments

The individuals listed here provided editorial

guidance or facilitated field testing for this

publication. The National Digestive Diseases

Information Clearinghouse would like to thank

them for their contribution.

Bruce Bacon, M.D.

Chair, Education

Committee

American Liver

Foundation

New York, NY

Luby GarzaAbijaoude,

M.S., R.D., L.D.

Texas Department

of Health

Austin, TX

Thelma Thiel,

R.N., B.A.

Hepatitis Foundation

International

Silver Spring, MD
11

National Digestive Diseases

Information Clearinghouse

2 Information Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3570

Phone: 1–800–891–5389 or (301) 654–3810

Fax: (301) 907–8906

Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

(NDDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes

and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK

is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services. Established in

1980, the clearinghouse provides information about digestive

diseases to people with digestive disorders and to their

families, health care professionals, and the public. NDDIC

answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and

works closely with professional and patient organizations and

Government agencies to coordinate resources about digestive

diseases.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are carefully

reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.

This publication is not copyrighted. The clearinghouse

encourages users of this booklet to duplicate and distribute

as many copies as desired.

This booklet is also available at www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

NIH Publication No. 04–4229

May 2004