Hepatitis C Virus (HVC)
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What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a viral infection spread through contact with an infected person’s blood that leads to inflammation of the liver. The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause acute or chronic infections. In acute cases, the infection can last up to six months, but it goes away on its own. In most cases, however, Hepatitis C results in long-term, chronic infections.
Left untreated, Hepatitis C can lead to liver disease, cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. In fact, chronic Hepatitis C infection is a major cause of liver transplants in the United States, and more than 15,000 people die every year from HCV-related issues.
Who is most at risk for Hepatitis C?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, people born between 1945 and 1965 are five times more likely to test positive for Hepatitis C than other adults, and should be tested for the virus.
Why are “baby boomers” at higher risk?
Hepatitis C was not discovered until 1989. Prior to 1992, the blood supply was not tested for the virus; this is why people who received blood transfusions before that date are at risk, in addition to those who may have been infected by certain medical procedures before enhanced infection control techniques were adopted.
There are other risk factors, including unsanitary piercings and past injection drug use. If any of these apply to you, talk to your doctor about getting tested.
Symptoms of Hepatitis C Infection
Most people with Hepatitis C have no symptoms for several years. In fact, up to 80 percent of people who carry HVC show no symptoms until it's too late and liver damage has occurred. As a result, federal disease experts recommend screenings for all individuals aged 18 years and older.
Symptoms may include:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Fluid in the abdomen
- Dark urine
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Bleeding
Treating Hepatitis C
The goal of treatment for Hepatits C is to rid your body of the virus and prevent damage to your liver. Until recently, doctors didn’t have much to offer patients who tested positive for HCV. But thanks to research conducted by SLUCare physicians at the SLU Liver Center and other top centers, new breakthrough anti-viral drugs are available that can cure HCV infections in as little as 8-12 weeks with no significant side effects.
How do you find out if you have Hepatitis C?
Many people don’t know they have Hepatitis C because the symptoms may be mild or may not appear at all. But Hepatitis C often begins damaging the liver before symptoms appear. That’s why getting tested is so important.
The only way to know if you have Hepatitis C is to get tested. Doctors use a blood test, called a Hepatitis C Antibody Test, which looks for antibodies to the virus. In addition, those whose initial results are positive for the virus should have an additional laboratory test to identify the genotype of the strain to determine the proper treatment.
Can Hepatitis C be treated?
The good news is that new, highly effective treatment options are available today that are of shorter duration and have fewer side effects than earlier treatments. These new medication options have 97% cure rates, reducing the risk of death from liver cancer and cirrhosis.
What are the next steps?
Talk to your primary care provider about being tested. Testing is covered by most health insurances, Medicaid and Medicare. You also can contact the Hepatitis C Treatment program at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital, which is staffed by specialized physicians who will guide patients diagnosed with the virus through the entire treatment process.
SSM Health Pharmacy Ambulatory Care
608 NW 9th Street, Suite 3100
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Phone: 405-815-5031 | Fax: 405-815-5656
Hepatitis C Clinic at SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis
Infectious Disease Clinic at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis
