How do you get Hep C

Hepatitis C is spread when infected blood enters the body of someone who is not infected. In todays day and age it is normally spread through sharing of needles or unprotected sexual encounters. However it is possible to get Hep C / Hepatitis C by sharing personal items such as toothbrushes and razors or getting a tattoo or body piercing. You can not get hepatitis C virus by hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or sharing food with an infected person.

If you are infected with Hepatitis C and your body clears the virus or you take treatment to clear the virus you can still be re-infected. So once you do recover it does not make you immune from re infection.

Symptoms of Hepatitis C includes:

1.   Fever
2.  Fatigue
3.  Dark Urine
4.  Loss of appetitie
5.  Nausea
6.  Stomach pain
7.  Vomiting
8.  Joint pain

Normally people who are infected develop acute symptoms from 2 to 12 weeks after exposure; however majority of people never display any symptoms so you might be a carrier and never know it. People who are infected but display no symptoms can spread the virus to others.

In 2016 over 18,000 people in the USA died due to Hepatitis C and that figure is commonly viewed to be underestimated. Since 2016 more people in the USA have died from Hepatitis C then any other infectious disease. For every 100 people who are infected with Hepatitis C virus:

80 % or more will develop chronic infection
15-20% will develop cirrhosis over the next 20-30 years

From that, for every 100 people with both Hepatits C and Cirrhosis

5% will develop liver failure
5% will develop liver cancer

As the math goes on, each year the figures will go up due to the aging population. The figures are higher for males, over 50, use alcohol, have fatty liver disease, hepatits b, or HIV infection.

Other terms for Hepatitis C are: Hep-C Hep C Hepatits-C Hepatitis C HCV