Major Symptoms Of Hepatitis C

Chronic Fatigue

Fatigue is defined as feeling a lack of energy or persistent extreme tiredness even when adequate sleep (e.g. eight hours a night) is achieved. It is quite different than feeling tired after tossing and turning throughout the night or only getting four hours. Although many individuals seek medical advice due to chronic fatigue, which is often due to lack of hydration, this symptom may also indicate hepatitis C. It's suggested that approximately fifty to seventy percent of hepatitis C patients experience some form of chronic fatigue. Although more research needs to be conducted, researchers believe fatigue stems from the body trying to fight the infection. That said, other studies suggest fatigue is due to liver damage.

Muscle And Joint Pain

In many cases, muscle and joint pain are the primary reason individuals seek medical help before being diagnosed with hepatitis C. For some, this joint pain is caused by cryoglobulins, which are antibodies the body makes when responding to an infection. This often leads to further inflammation and joint pain. When cryoglobulins are to blame, individuals generally experience red or purple blotching in their skin as well.

Although rarer, approximately four percent of hepatitis C patients develop arthritis. Classified into two groups, affected patients develop either polyarthritis or mono-oligoarthritis. Polyarthritis is much like rheumatoid arthritis, but is typically less serious. Mono-oligoarthritis targets medium to large joints, especially within the ankles.