The Signs Older Americans Need To Know About Hepatitis C
April 24, 2023
3 min read
Hepatitis C is one of the most dangerous diseases out there and, with 58 million people battling the condition, it's important for people of all ages to be aware of the signs & symptoms:
As usual, people try as much as possible to avoid contracting such diseases. If you are like most people, you’re probably wondering how one contracts the illness and whether you are at risk. It is thus important to learn as much as you can about the illness.
If you are young, chances are that you have a strong immune system that is able to fight off most illnesses. However, scientific research shows that older people are at a higher risk of contracting hepatitis C than their younger counterparts.
Identifying the Early Signs of Hepatitis
Once you discover that you have hepatitis, you must take immediate steps to stop the disease from spreading. If you have recently developed hepatitis, there are treatment options available. However, time is the single most important aspect of this disease because if you wait too long you might develop liver complications. If you find out that you have a type of hepatitis that has progressed to the chronic stage, you must learn how to manage your condition.
You might inadvertently be doing activities that worsen the effects of hepatitis. For instance, people with this ailment should avoid alcohol as it can damage the liver and make it harder for his body to resist infection.
A poor diet can also exacerbate hepatitis.
When you discover that you have hepatitis, you need to adopt a lifestyle that increases the odds of successful treatment. You can do this by improving your diet.
Early Symptoms of Hepatitis
Most people with hepatitis C usually don’t realize that they’ve acquired it. Around 80 percent of people with hepatitis C don’t express symptoms. When symptoms show, they tend to appear within a few months instead of right away. There are various signs and symptoms associated with Hepatitis. The following are some of them:
- Fever
- Feeling nausea
- Reduced appetite
- Feelings of exhaustion and tiredness
- Sore and weak muscles
- Itching
- Belly pain
- Joint pain
- Dark urine
- Jaundice (yellow skin)
A lot of people with acute hepatitis C express no symptoms and will go on to develop chronic hepatitis C. In a few cases, an infection can last 15 years or even more without being diagnosed.
What are the risks that people with long-term hepatitis C exposed to?
Anyone that has been carrying the hepatitis C virus for a long time might be at risk of other health conditions. Some of those illnesses include kidney disease, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, anal cancer, Bile duct cancer, liver cancer, cardiovascular disease, and many others.
Do Your Research
If you have been diagnosed with any form of hepatitis you should explore all treatment options. Or if you have experienced any of the warning signs above you should get a medical examination. If tests show that you do not have hepatitis, it is still advised you get a vaccination to guard against both hepatitis A and B viruses.
