Hepatitis C Infection
What is Hepatitis C Infection?
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that attacks the liver and causes inflammation. The virus spreads through contact with infected blood. Many people carry the virus for years without knowing because early symptoms are often mild or absent.
The infection can be acute, meaning short term, or chronic, meaning long term. About 75 to 85 percent of people with acute hepatitis C develop chronic infection. Chronic hepatitis C can lead to serious liver problems including scarring, liver failure, and liver cancer over time.
Early detection through blood testing allows for treatment before permanent liver damage occurs. Modern antiviral medications can cure hepatitis C in most people within 8 to 12 weeks. Testing is especially important because the virus can damage your liver silently for decades.
Symptoms
- Fatigue and low energy that persists
- Nausea or loss of appetite
- Yellowing of skin or eyes, called jaundice
- Dark colored urine
- Pale or clay colored stool
- Abdominal pain, especially in the upper right side
- Joint pain or muscle aches
- Fever
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Itchy skin
Most people with hepatitis C have no symptoms during the acute phase. Chronic infection can remain silent for 10 to 30 years while slowly damaging the liver. This is why blood testing is the only reliable way to detect the virus early.
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Causes and risk factors
Hepatitis C spreads when blood from an infected person enters the body of someone who is not infected. The most common way people get hepatitis C is through sharing needles or other drug injection equipment. Healthcare workers can get infected through accidental needle stick injuries. People who received blood transfusions or organ transplants before 1992 may have been exposed before screening was available.
Other risk factors include getting tattoos or piercings with unsterilized equipment, sharing personal items like razors or toothbrushes that may have blood on them, being born to a mother with hepatitis C, or having unprotected sex with multiple partners. Being born between 1945 and 1965 is also a risk factor. People in this age group are five times more likely to have hepatitis C than other adults.
How it's diagnosed
Hepatitis C is diagnosed through blood tests that detect antibodies your immune system makes in response to the virus. If antibodies are present, a follow up test checks for active viral infection. Rite Aid offers hepatitis C antibody testing as part of our blood panel. This screening helps identify current or past infection.
Additional tests may include measuring your platelet count, which can drop when hepatitis C causes liver scarring or affects bone marrow. Liver enzyme tests show how well your liver is functioning. Your doctor may also order tests to measure viral load and determine which strain of hepatitis C you have. These results guide treatment decisions.
Treatment options
- Antiviral medications that cure hepatitis C in 8 to 12 weeks for most people
- Avoid alcohol completely to prevent further liver damage
- Maintain a healthy weight through balanced nutrition and regular physical activity
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B to protect your liver from other viruses
- Avoid medications and supplements that can harm the liver without doctor approval
- Drink plenty of water and eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins
- Get adequate sleep to support immune function and liver repair
- Regular monitoring of liver function through blood tests every 6 to 12 months
- See a liver specialist if you have advanced liver disease or cirrhosis
Concerned about Hepatitis C Infection? Get tested at Rite Aid.
- Simple blood draw at your nearest lab
- Results in days, not weeks
- Share results with your doctor
Frequently asked questions
About 15 to 25 percent of people with acute hepatitis C clear the virus naturally within 6 months. However, most people develop chronic infection that will not go away without treatment. Modern antiviral medications cure over 95 percent of hepatitis C cases. If you test positive for hepatitis C antibodies, your doctor will check if you have active infection.
Liver damage from hepatitis C develops slowly over many years. It typically takes 20 to 30 years for cirrhosis, or severe scarring, to develop in untreated cases. The progression varies based on factors like alcohol use, age at infection, and other health conditions. Regular monitoring helps catch liver damage early before it becomes severe.
Everyone born between 1945 and 1965 should get tested at least once. Anyone who has ever injected drugs, even once, needs testing. People who received blood transfusions before 1992, healthcare workers exposed to blood, people with HIV, and those on long term hemodialysis should also be screened. Testing is recommended if you have unexplained liver problems or were born to a mother with hepatitis C.
No, hepatitis C does not spread through casual contact like hugging, kissing, or sharing food and drinks. You cannot get it from coughing, sneezing, or holding hands. The virus requires direct blood to blood contact to spread. However, sharing personal items that might have blood on them, like razors or toothbrushes, can transmit the virus.
A positive antibody test means your immune system has been exposed to hepatitis C at some point. It does not tell you whether you currently have an active infection or cleared the virus. Your doctor will order a follow up test to check for viral RNA, which confirms active infection. If viral RNA is not detected, you cleared the infection naturally or through past treatment.
Once you are cured of hepatitis C, the virus does not come back on its own. However, you can get reinfected if you are exposed to the virus again through blood contact. Antibodies from previous infection do not protect you from future infections. People who continue to inject drugs or have other ongoing risk factors should consider repeat testing.
Hepatitis C can lower platelet count through several mechanisms. The virus can directly suppress bone marrow where platelets are made. Chronic infection leads to liver scarring and an enlarged spleen, which traps and destroys platelets. The immune response to the virus can also attack platelets. Low platelet counts may affect treatment options and surgical safety.
Avoid alcohol completely because it speeds up liver damage. Maintain a healthy weight through regular exercise and balanced nutrition. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins. Stay hydrated and get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Talk to your doctor before taking any new medications or supplements because some can harm the liver.
Current antiviral medications cure over 95 percent of people with hepatitis C. Treatment typically lasts 8 to 12 weeks with oral medication taken once daily. Side effects are usually mild compared to older treatments. These direct acting antivirals work by blocking specific proteins the virus needs to multiply. Most people can be cured regardless of liver damage severity or previous treatment failures.
Family members do not need testing just from living together because casual contact does not spread the virus. However, sexual partners should consider testing, especially with multiple partners or rough sex that causes bleeding. Children born to mothers with hepatitis C should be tested after 18 months of age. Anyone who may have shared personal care items like razors should get screened.