So what exactly is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus i.e. a virus that is carried in the blood. The virus causes hepatitis which means inflammation of the liver. When the liver becomes inflamed its ability to perform its varied and essential tasks is impaired.

Where, or how, the virus originated is unknown and scientists only identified it as hepatitis C in 1989, before then it was referred to as non-A non-B hepatitis (NANB), simply because they knew it was different from hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

The lettering system of hepatitis i.e. A,B,C etc suggests that they are all closely related, but in fact HCV is a completely different family of viruses to other types of hepatitis.

It is an RNA virus that has evolved into different strains or genotypes of which there are 7 recognised so far.

The hepatitis C virus infects liver cells, resulting in inflammation and damage to the liver. Like most viruses, hepatitis C is capable of replicating at an amazing rate, leading to high levels of virus in the blood. Over time as more virus is able to infect liver cells, fibrous tissue and fat forms in the liver and significantly impairs its ability to perform its vital functions. Eventually, and usually over decades, the fibrous tissue extends and degenerative nodules form, leading to cirrhosis, further impairing liver function.

Its unlikely. It is important to remember that this is a very slow disease and can take as long as 30 years before it starts to cause significant damage. Happily there are also a number of adjustments you can make to your lifestyle that can make an enormous difference to the rate of progression to the disease. You may find it useful to read the section below as well as Caring for yourself.

Treatment is now available that is effective in clearing the virus in approximately 50% to 80% of those who try it. There is also evidence to show that even those who do not clear the virus, still benefit from treatment by slowing progression of the disease. see Treatment. There are also a whole range of complementary therapies that people have found helpful in relieving symptoms and helping to maintain overall good health and well-being. Even if you are facing the worst case scenario, where you have just been diagnosed with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) such as decompensated cirrhosis or even liver cancer, it still doesn't mean you will necessarily die.

Liver transplants are now very successful with survival rates well above 90%.

The good news is yes there are! Modifications to your diet to ensure it is well balanced and you maintain a healthy weight, cutting out (or if that is not possible then drastically reducing ) intake of alcohol, quitting smoking, taking regular exercise and getting enough rest and sleep can all make significant contributions to gaining and maintaining good health as well as slowing down disease progression. See caring for yourself

Unfortunately receiving a hepatitis C diagnosis merely confirms that you have the virus in your body. It does not, however, give you or your doctor any information about the condition of your liver and whether any damage has already occurred. It is very likely that a wide range of tests, undertaken over a period of time and at regular intervals will need to be undertaken.

Typically the tests that you will have will be

1. Further blood tests, which may include:

• LFTs (liver function tests) to give some indication of how your liver is working
• Genotype test which will tell which type of hepatitis C you have

2. An ultrasound to check the overall condition of your liver.

3. You may also be sent for a biopsy to check whether there has
been any damage to your liver.

The nature of any additional tests will depend on a number of factors including how long you may have had hepatitis C, whether you are showing any symptoms and if you are requiring treatment for either your hepatitis C or any other medical condition.