Would you like to make this site your homepage? It's fast and easy...
Yes, Please make this my home page!
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C, or non-A, non-B hepatitis (HCV), is usually transmitted
through blood transfusions. Intravenous drug users who share needles also have
a high incidence of the disease. Very little is known about the virus that causes
hepatitis C. So far, a test has not been developed that can detected the hepatitis
C virus. The disease will progress to chronic hepatitis in 70% to 90% of the
people who contract the disease. Symptoms are flu-like and include fever, nausea,
vomiting, abdominal discomfort, jaundice, and aching muscles. There is no cure
for hepatitis C, but if the disease is not treated, it may lead to death due
to liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is caused by chronic damage to the cells of the
liver. Internal scaring (fibrosis) breaks up the normal structure of the liver.
The undamaged cells multiply to form regeneration nodules. These nodules are
inadequately supplied with blood, and as a result, over time, liver function
is gradually impaired. In the United States about 30,000 deaths occur annually
due to cirrhosis.
