LVMAC Tidbit — Baby Boomer Vet? Get your Hep-C screening
Symptoms of Hepatitis C
Most people with hepatitis C have no symptoms at all and never will. Check it out anyway, for some people eventually have liver damage which causes the liver to stop working, and, then, they do have symptoms. These symptoms could include the following:
- Fatigue, nausea, low energy
- Pain in the upper right abdomen
- Jaundice (yellowing skin and/or eyes)
- Swelling in the abdomen
- Itching
- Dark urine
How HCV Spreads
HCV spreads through exposure to an infected person’s blood. This is most likely to occur if:
- You used an infected needle (IV drug needles, tattoos, acupuncture needles, and body piercing needles)
- You had a needlestick injury in the hospital
- You shared personal care items such as razors with an individual with HCV
- You had sex without a condom with an infected person
- You had a blood transfusion decades ago (blood is now screened for HCV)
- You came into contact with blood that may have been infected, as a healthcare worker or in the military
Many people do not know how they were exposed to HCV. Veterans who served during the Vietnam War era should be tested whether or not they think they were exposed.
For more information, click here.
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As of 17 April 2017