Frequently Asked Questions
This section features responses from health professionals to
questions about hepatitis C.
What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is an infectious virus that is carried in the
blood and affects the liver. It's an infection that is increasing
rapidly in Canada and around the world. More than 5,000
individuals in Canada-mostly young people-get this virus each
year.
Why is hepatitis C a health
concern?
While not identified until 1989, the hepatitis C virus has
been around for a very long time. Many infected people do not
know they have the virus because for some, there will be no
symptoms and for others, the symptoms may not show up for 20 to
30 years. During this time, they can spread the disease to
others. You may not know you have this disease until damage has
already been done to your liver. That's why you need to know if
you're at risk.
Could I have hepatitis
C?
Like HIV and hepatitis B, hepatitis C is spread through
contact with the blood of infected people. This can happen if
you:
- Ever, even once, shared needles, straws used for snorting
drugs, pipes, spoons and other drug-related equipment. (This
virus was around when sharing such equipment was common in the
1960s and 1970s.) Cleaning with bleach may not kill the hepatitis
C virus.
- Got a tattoo or had body piercing or acupuncture where the
operator used unsterile or homemade equipment or unsterile
techniques.
- Were pricked by a needle that had infected blood on it (this
could happen in the workplace).
- Were born to a mother who has hepatitis C.
It is possible that hepatitis C can be spread if you have ever
shared personal household articles such as a razor or toothbrush
with an infected person.
People who had blood transfusions before 1992 are also at risk
for developing the disease.
Hepatitis C is NOT spread by casual contact, such as hugging,
kissing or shaking hands, or by being around someone who is
sneezing or coughing. The virus is not found in food or
water.
How can I find out if
I have hepatitis C?
If you think you may be at risk for hepatitis C, you should
take the simple blood test for this disease. For more
information, contact a health care professional.
What can happen to
people with hepatitis C?
The illness begins almost like a 'flu' with fatigue, a fever,
body aches and pains, and perhaps nausea and vomiting. The urine
may become dark brown. In severe infections, the skin or the eyes
may turn yellow (jaundice).
Although people who get hepatitis C may not have symptoms, or
feel ill for only a short time, they may carry the hepatitis C
virus in their bloodstream and be infectious for years. You may
have hepatitis C and not realize it because it is difficult to
know when you are in the first or "acute" phase. In the majority
of cases, hepatitis C progresses to a "chronic" stage which lasts
for a long time, perhaps a person's whole life. The worst effect
of this is a condition called "cirrhosis" which results in severe
damage to the liver. A small number of people may get liver
cancer.
Your liver and why you
need it
It's important to keep your liver healthy because it does a
lot of things for you. It helps digest food and also stores
vitamins and minerals. But most important, the liver acts as a
filter for chemicals and other substances that enter the body,
including toxins in the air that we breathe and in what we eat
and drink. It is also important in the manufacture of your blood
and many proteins.
How can I avoid getting
hepatitis C?
The best way to keep yourself safe from hepatitis C is to
avoid the risks.
- Don't share drug needles or drug-related equipment,
ever.
- Wear latex gloves if you are likely to be in contact with
someone's blood.
- If you have sex with more than one partner, you should use a
condom.
- If you are getting a tattoo, or planning to have body
piercing or acupuncture, check things out first. Choose a
reputable licensed* person to do this for you and make sure that
everything is clean. NEVER allow anyone to use homemade equipment
on you or re-use equipment, including needles, ink or jewelry.
Only fresh, single-use, disposable needles must be used and all
other equipment must be disinfected and sterile. Cleaning with
bleach may not kill the hepatitis C virus.
* Where licensing available.
What if I have hepatitis
C?
Do not consume alcohol.
There are medications called interferon and ribavirin that can
be used to treat hepatitis C. However, you need to discuss with
your doctor the side effects associated with these drugs. There
is no vaccination against hepatitis C.
To prevent further damage to your liver, your doctor may
advise you to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
Many provinces and territories provide these vaccinations at no
cost to you.
If you have hepatitis C, you may infect others. To keep from
spreading the virus:
- Don't share needles, straws, pipes or any other drug-related
equipment.
- Don't share toothbrushes, razors or any other ordinary
personal item that could be contaminated with your blood.
- Cover open sores or breaks in your skin.
- If you have more than one sex partner, you should use a
condom. Sex partners should be told that the risk of transmission
during sexual activity may increase when there are open sores
and, if the woman is infected, during her menstrual periods. In
general, couples who only have sex with each other should be
informed that the risk of hepatitis C being sexually transmitted
is minimal but not absent.
Who is most
likely to get hepatitis C?
Since HCV is usually spread through direct contact with
infected blood or blood products, people who are most likely to
get it are as follows:
- drug users who share needles, spoons, straws and other
drug-related equipment that are contaminated with HCV
- people who get tattoos or body parts pierced with dirty or
unsterile needles and ink
- people who received blood transfusions or blood products
before 1992
- people who share a razor or toothbrush with someone who has
hepatitis C
Is it easy to get hepatitis
C?
If you live or work with someone who has hepatitis C, you will
NOT get the disease from day-to-day contact. To get hepatitis C,
you must share blood or body fluids containing blood with a
person who has the disease.
Can I get hepatitis C
from having sex?
Your chance of getting hepatitis C from having sex is very
low. This is true for both heterosexuals (straights) and
homosexuals (gays/lesbians). Studies show that having multiple
sex partners and being infected with HIV may increase the risk of
HCV infection. However, people with multiple sexual partners
should always practice safer sex, not only to protect themselves
against HCV but to prevent getting other infections. In general,
longstanding sexual partners need to be informed that although
the risk of HCV transmission sexually is very low, it is not
absent. Long-term monogamous couples should decide for themselves
about routine condom use.
Can babies get
hepatitis C from their mothers?
Yes, they can. Some studies show that between 5 to 10 women
out of 100 who have HCV might pass it to their babies before OR
at the time of birth. Transmission of HCV from mother to child
occurs more frequently in mothers who are also infected with HIV.
Studies show that the chance of passing HCV from mother to baby
during breastfeeding is highly unlikely. However, if the nipples
are bleeding or cracked, it is recommended that breastfeeding be
suspended until they have healed
What are the signs of
hepatitis C?
Most people infected with HCV show no symptoms and feel
healthy for years.Other people feel tired, suffer from joint pain
or don't feel like eating (no appetite). Some people have a
yellow look to their eyes and skin. This yellow look is called
jaundice.
How can I know for sure if I
have hepatitis C?
The only way to find out for sure is by having a blood test.
Your doctor can order a blood test for you.
What if the blood
test is positive?
If you have a positive result, your doctor may order a second
blood test. The second test will:
- to determine whether the virus is really in your blood
- to check the state of your liver
A small number of people get very mild cases of hepatitis C.
They are able to get rid of the disease within six months. But
when these people have a blood test, antibodies to HCV can show
up. A second test is needed to find out if the virus is really
there. In most cases, people with HCV infection do NOT get rid of
it. They will have HCV infection for the rest of their lives. If
you have hepatitis C, your family doctor may suggest you see a
doctor who knows a lot about liver infections (a specialist).
This doctor can help you decide if you need treatment.
How do I live with hepatitis
C?
You may need to make some changes in your life. You
should:
- eat food that will keep you healthy
- stop drinking alcohol (this means NO beer, wine or any kind
of alcohol)
- be tested for evidence of infection with hepatitis A,
hepatitis B and HIV
- receive the hepatitis A vaccine if your blood tests show that
you have never had hepatitis A previously
- receive the hepatitis B vaccine if your blood tests show that
you have never had hepatitis B previously
What kinds of
treatment are there?
For those whose hepatitis C infection is more advanced, drug
treatment may be appropriate and must be administered after
careful assessment by your doctor. The best current treatment
strategy is the use of two antiviral drugs together, inteferon
alfa-2b plus ribavirin. New drugs are being developed. Herbal
treatments may not be particularly helpful for treatment of
hepatitis C. Research is urgently required in this area.
What happens as I get
older?
Most people feel well for years. "Chronic hepatitis C" is the
term for having hepatitis C for a long time. About 20 out of 100
people with chronic hepatitis C will develop bad scars in their
liver. This is called cirrhosis of the liver. A small proportion
of people with chronic hepatitis C get liver cancer. People with
severe liver damage from hepatitis C may need a liver
transplant.
If I have hepatitis C,
how can I make sure I don't pass it on?
- Do not donate blood, organs for transplants or semen for
artificial insemination.
- Do not share your razor or toothbrush.
- Do not inject illegal drugs. If you do, never share needles
or drug related equipment
- Tell any doctor, nurse or dental professional who provides
care for you that you have hepatitis C
- Before you have sex, tell your partner that you have
hepatitis C
- Practise safer sex by using a condom
REMEMBER:
- Hepatitis C can be treated. It is important to find out if
you have the virus and to get treatment as soon as possible.
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