liver and gallbladder disorders
Hepatitis C, Chronic
Symptoms of Chronic Hepatitis C
Many people with chronic hepatitis C have no symptoms. Some have a feeling of being generally ill (malaise), loss of appetite, fatigue, and vague abdominal discomfort. Often, the first specific symptoms are those of cirrhosis or complications of cirrhosis. These symptoms can include An enlarged spleen Small spiderlike blood vessels visible in the skin (called spider angiomas) Redness of the palms Accumulation of fluid within the abdomen ( Ascites ) A tendency to bleed (coagulopathy) Bleeding in the digestive tract due to Esophageal Varices None Jaundice in Adults (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) Deterioration of brain function due to malfunction of the liver ( Hepatic Encephalopathy ) Brain function deteriorates because the badly damaged liver cannot remove toxic substances from the blood as it normally does. These substances then build up in the blood and reach the brain. Normally, the liver removes them from the blood, breaks them down, then excretes them as harmless by-products into the bile (the greenish yellow fluid that aids in digestion) or blood (see Functions of the Liver ). Treatment of hepatic encephalopathy can prevent the deterioration of brain function from becoming permanent. 