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Symptoms & Effects
Most people infected with hepatitis C have no symptoms until the disease is well-advanced and liver damage has already occurred. It's not uncommon for people to be infected for up to 20 years before showing any symptoms. Many people with hepatitis C will never have any symptoms, but could still infect others with the disease. This is why it is so important to get tested if you are in one of the risk groups.
Some people who have hepatitis C do experience symptoms that are similar to a mild flu, including nausea, vomiting, fever, lack of appetite, and abdominal pain. Others experience jaundice, a yellowing of the eyes and skin. However, the only way to know for sure whether you are infected is to get tested.
In the later stages of the disease, hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis of the liver (a scarring of liver tissue), liver cancer, liver failure or even death. According to the American Liver Foundation (www.liverfoundation.org), hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States.