Complications That Can Occur With Hepatitis C
If you have hepatitis C that gets left untreated, it can create a lot of complications. This article discusses them in detail.
First of all, if it is left without treatment over a long period of time, say 20 years or so, you will most likely get cirrhosis. That is the medical terminology for scarring on the liver.
Factors That Can Contribute Towards Cirrhosis
The consumption of alcohol
If you have type two diabetes
Picking up hepatitis c when you are older
Having HIV or other forms of hepatitis, like the hepatitis B
The above contributors can make the risk of cirrhosis rise by 10-40%
Common Symptoms That Cirrhosis Brings On
Extreme fatigue
Not feeling to eat
Losing weight rapidly without an explanation
Nausea
Skin that is very itchy
Pain in your liver area
Yellowing of the skin (jaundice)
Small red blood vessels may build up on your skin just above your waist (blood capillaries)
Cirrhosis cannot be cured. The only way to shift it is to have a full liver transplant. There are some treatments that are on offer to help to get rid of the symptoms though, and stop the condition from getting worse.
What the Liver Does and What Happens When It Fails
Your liver is responsible for ensuring that your blood gets filtered from all the bad toxins, and it also helps to make the hormones that your body needs in order to stay fit and healthy.
When the liver fails because of cirrhosis, it is known as the end stage of liver disease, or, quite simply liver failure. This happens on one out of five people that suffer with hepatitis-related cirrhosis.
Symptoms of Liver Failure
Loss of hair
Fluid retention in your ankles, feet and legs
Your abdomen may swell
Urine will become dark
You will be more prone to nose bleeds, and gum disease
Your body will bruise more easily
You can vomit blood as well
Your faeces colour will change, and you can have tarry looking stools, or very pale ones
When the liver does fail, you will be able to live for around seven years with medicine, but the only long term way out is to have a liver transplant.
Another Complication of Hepatitis C Is Liver Cancer
Another sad thing in those faced with hepatitis C that escalates with cirrhosis is that they have a one in 20 chance of developing liver cancer.
The Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Vomiting severely
A Nauseas feeling all the time
Loss of weight without dieting
Yellowing of the skin (jaundice)
Extreme fatigue
Sadly, liver cancer is not curable; only treatment is to slow the cancer down by using chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells.
More Complications Although A Lot Rarer Are
Dry eyes and mouth because of destroyed glands
Skin patches that are itchy
Swollen kidneys
Extreme sensitivity to light that gives blisters on the skin
A thyroid that becomes under active, or overactive
Destruction of the nervous system (cryoglobulinemia)
Contraction of non-Hodgkins cancer
Diabetes and issues with resisting insulin
Disease of the gall bladder
So there you have it, complication that can occur with hepatitis C. As you can see the list is extensive and those suffering can expect years of ill health and suffering.