Hepatitis C is an infectious liver disease that provokes the development of tumors and cirrhosis. Despite the fact that both sexes suffer equally from this disease, women face more serious consequences of the disease. In this article, we list the symptoms of hepatitis C in women, we will consider the possible consequences of infection.
How is hepatitis C transmitted and what are the symptoms?
This disease is spread by means of biological fluids - blood, breast milk, secretions during sexual intercourse.
The first symptoms of hepatitis C in women can generally not occur for many years. The disease occurs practically without visible signs, and it is difficult to diagnose it even at early stages. The destruction of the liver can last up to 20 years asymptomatically, sometimes the biochemical analysis of blood, in which the elevated (or at the upper limit of the norm), the parameter of the enzyme ALT is possible, is suspected.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
- fatigue;
- periodic pain in different parts of the body of low intensity;
- rare discomfort in the epigastric region;
- sleep disorders ;
- slight itch of skin.
It is worth noting that all these signs can accompany other conditions or diseases, as well as the period of menopause.
Chronic hepatitis - symptoms
Due to the complexity of early diagnosis of the disease, virtually all people infected with hepatitis C develop a chronic form of the disease, which progresses 10-15 years. And even in this period the signs are not too pronounced:
- urine brown or dark yellow;
- rare pulling pain in the muscles;
- a certain, almost imperceptible, icterus of the skin;
- pain in the joints;
- itching.
Subsequently, in the absence of treatment, cirrhosis of the liver or cancer develops. The following symptoms of chronic hepatitis C in women are observed:
- vascular setochka on the chest, face and shoulders;
- redness of the palms;
- involuntary contraction of muscles;
- swelling of the abdomen, pain;
- encephalopathy in the form of memory impairment, concentration;
- varicose bleeding in the digestive tract;
- strong yellowness of the skin and eye proteins.
Acute hepatitis C - symptoms
The incubation period of acute infection can be up to 26 weeks and go into a chronic disease. In the vast majority of cases, acute hepatitis C proceeds without symptoms. Sometimes there are signs such as headache combined with dizziness and nausea, itching, fever, diarrhea, decreased appetite, discomfort in the intestines.
Autoimmune hepatitis - symptoms
This form of the disease develops against the background of failures of the work of immunity, is typical, mainly for women, during the postmenopause. Symptoms:
- heaviness in the right hypochondrium;
- skin rash and itching;
- ulcerative colitis ;
- amenorrhea;
- malaise.
Medicinal Hepatitis - Symptoms
This type of disease occurs due to damage to the hepatic tissue (up to necrosis) by toxic components of medicines. Such hepatitis manifests itself in the form of fever, persistent digestive disorders (diarrhea, vomiting), dizziness, nausea, skin rashes.
Reactive hepatitis - symptoms
The type of disease that occurs against the background of other chronic ailments is also called secondary hepatitis C. The reactive form can occur without symptoms at all, occasionally there is a slight pain under the ribs on the right side, weakness in muscles and joints, a slight increase in liver size.