World Hepatitis Day – 28th July

World Hepatitis Day – 28th July

This year will be the sixth annual World Hepatitis Day and is on 28 July, the same date as the birthday of Nobel Laureate Professor Blumberg who discovered Hepatitis B.

The whole point of the day is to encourage people to find out the facts about Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C - and by doing this help decrease the stigmas attached to the viruses.  I thought today we would have a look at Hepatitis C in particular.

So what is Hepatitis C?   Well the infection is transferred through the blood and damages the liver and its ability to carry out essential functions for your body.

It can also affect other parts of the body including the immune system, digestive system and the brain.   Around 130-170 million people on the planet have it.

Hepatitis C has been referred to as the 'silent epidemic'.   That's because where some people will have symptoms straight away others could go up to ten years without knowing anything is wrong.

Thankfully drug treatments have been successful: 50% success for type 1 and an even better 80% for type 2.

But there is still no vaccine and it's important people are more in the know about exactly how dangerous hepatitis is and what it does.

If you have the virus, find out more about how you can care for yourself by visiting the Hepatitis C Trust website.

NHS site also has useful information and explains that Hepatitis is a term used to describe inflammation (swelling) of the liver. It can occur as a result of a viral infection or because the liver is exposed to harmful substances such as alcohol.

Some types of hepatitis will pass without causing permanent damage to the liver.

Other types can persist for many years and cause scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and, in the most serious cases, loss of liver function (liver failure), which can be fatal. These types of long-lasting hepatitis are known as chronic hepatitis.

Initial symptoms of hepatitis caused by infection are similar to the flu and include:

• muscle and joint pain
• a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above
• feeling sick
• being sick
• headache
• occasionally yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)

Symptoms of chronic hepatitis can include:

• feeling unusually tired all the time
• depression
• jaundice
• a general sense of feeling unwell

In many cases, hepatitis causes no noticeable symptoms, so when hepatitis is caused by a virus, many people are unaware they are infected.

Similarly, many people with hepatitis caused by alcohol are unaware that their drinking is harming their liver.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is the most common type of viral hepatitis in England. It is estimated that around 255,000 people in England have the condition.

Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus. This can be found in the blood and, to a much lesser extent, the saliva and semen or vaginal fluid of an infected person. It is particularly concentrated in the blood, so it is usually transmitted through blood-to-blood contact.

In England, it’s most commonly spread through sharing needles to inject drugs, which account for 9 out of 10 cases.

Hepatitis C often causes no noticeable symptoms or symptoms that are mistaken for the flu, so many people are unaware they are infected.

Around one in four people will fight off the infection and will be free of the virus. In the remaining three out of four people, the virus will stay in their body for many years and will go on to suffer chronic hepatitis C.

Chronic hepatitis C can be treated by taking antiviral medications, although there can be unpleasant side effects.

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Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio