What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that can cause long-term inflammation of the liver. Over 214,000 Australians are estimated to be living with the virus. It is slow-acting and, for most people, will not result in serious disease or death. A number of people may experience no symptoms, while others will experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
What are the symptoms of Hepatitis C?
During the initial (acute) phase, a small number of people may experience flu-like symptoms. Some people may develop nausea, abdominal pain, back pain and extreme tiredness. Most people do not experience any symptoms for the first 10 years or more after their initial infection. Symptoms of chronic infection can range from mild to severe. These symptoms can occur continuously or in bouts.
The most common symptoms of chronic hepatitis C infection are:
• fatigue or tiredness
• lethargy
• nausea and discomfort in abdominal region
• feeling ill after consuming alcohol or fatty food
• depression
Symptoms associated with cirrhosis appear to vary from mild to severe, and are essentially similar to those of chronic hepatitis C. While many people with cirrhosis may experience no symptoms, others may experience profound lethargy and significant discomfort in the liver region. Cirrhosis is a serious and complex condition requiring specialised medical support.
Many people have found that some symptoms can be alleviated by reducing or stopping alcohol consumption, reducing fat in their diet, and by using a variety of complementary therapies. Many people use complementary therapies to improve their health and general wellbeing. It is important to ensure that your practitioner is qualified and registered. It is also important to understand that some herbs can be toxic to the liver.
How is Hepatitis C transmitted?
It is transmitted by blood-to-blood contact. Hep C positive blood must get into your bloodstream before transmission can occur. Groups of people who have been most at risk of contracting hepatitis C in Australia are injecting drug users, haemophiliacs who had blood product transfusions before 1990, and prisoners (due to the high prevalence of injecting drug use in prisons, and the lack of access to clean needle programs).
There are several common ways in which Australians have been infected with Hepatitis C.
• Through sharing injecting drug equipment
• Through receiving blood transfusions or blood products prior to 1990 (highest in multiple transfused individuals)
• Through tattoos, body piercing and skin penetration (due to use of non-sterilised equipment).
• A number of Australians contracted hepatitis C in other countries via non-sterile medical or dental procedures.
Hepatitis C is rarely transmitted during sex.
It is not classified as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). There is only a risk of transmission when there is potential for blood-to-blood contact during sex. The risk of this contact may increase when an STD such as herpes is present. There may also be an increased risk of blood-to-blood contact during anal sex or when a woman has her period.
What about babies?
The risk of mother-to-baby transmission of hepatitis C is approximately 5%. Women with hepatitis C are encouraged to have natural births, and to breastfeed (unless nipples are cracked and bleeding).
Testing for Hepatitis C
ANTIBODIES: A hepatitis C antibody positive test result means that at some stage of your life you have been exposed to the hepatitis c virus. Testing positive for hepatitis C can leave many people feeling very distressed, anxious and depressed. Getting accurate information and support at this point is very important, and can help people cope through this difficult period.
LIVER FUNCTION: A liver function test is usually done to help determine if you have the virus. If your liver enzymes are elevated (particularly your ALTs), then there is a strong chance that you still have the virus.
PCR: If you have had a positive antibody test, you are eligible to have a Medicare-covered PCR test (also known as a hepatitis C RNA test), which will indicate if the virus is present or not. Contact the Hepatitis C Council of SA Inc for specific details on all aspects of testing.
What treatments are available?
It is essential that you feel well-informed before deciding on any treatment path. Talk with your GP and specialist.
Combination Therapy has been approved in Australia for the treatment of hepatitis C. This antiviral treatment combines the use of pegylated interferon injections with ribavirin capsules. Combination therapy is successful in treating a majority of people with hepatitis C. Overall, about 60% of people will clear hepatitis C from their blood.
For people with genotype 2 or 3, about 80% clear the virus with combination therapy; for those with genotype 1, about 50% clear the virus. There are a number of side effects associated with combination therapy. These can include nausea, depression, thyroid abnormalities, muscle aches, anaemia and hair loss. Ribavirin is also associated with birth defects so contraceptive use is essential for both men and women during and for a period after treatment.
Information at a glance
Hepatitis C is a virus that lives in the blood of people with this virus. It is spread by blood-to-blood contact. Infected blood must get into your bloodstream before there is any chance of transmission occurring.
The most common ways of transmitting Hep C are by:
• sharing injecting equipment
• tattooing and body piercing with non-sterilised equipment
• pre-1990 transfusions (about 10% of Australians who are now hepatitis C positive contracted the virus through multiple blood transfusions or blood products prior to 1990); all blood products in Australia are now screened for hep C .
So what’s safe?
Hepatitis C is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Sexual transmission of Hep C is most unlikely unless there is blood to blood contact during sex. The risk of transmission may be increased if herpes or an STI is present. Menstrual blood of hep C positive women will have the virus present. It’s perfectly OK to share food, drinks, hugs and kisses with someone who has Hep C. The risk of mothers passing hep C to their unborn child is very low. Breastfeeding is encouraged for women who are hep C-positive.
