Major Symptoms Of Hepatitis C

Dark Urine

A healthy individual has urine that is a straw-yellow color and is transparent with no cloudiness. An individual who has hepatitis C may experience jaundice, where the scar tissue that has accumulated in the liver tissues stops the proper flow of bile to the gallbladder and small intestine. When the bile cannot move through these structures properly, bilirubin cannot be broken down by the body naturally. Bilirubin, which has a strong odor and potent yellow pigment, is essential for the proper digestion of fats. Bilirubin can accumulate in the blood of an affected individual when it cannot be excreted through stool. The kidneys filter the blood that contains the excess bilirubin, and this substance ends up in the patient's urine. The yellow-brown pigmentation of bilirubin is what causes an affected individual to experience dark-colored urine.

Easy Bruising And Bleeding

When the liver is no longer able to filter blood properly due to the accumulation of scar tissue from hepatitis C, blood backs up into the spleen. The spleen hogs a large amount of platelets, which are responsible for helping the blood clot properly. In addition, hepatitis C can cause a decrease in the number of platelets an individual's liver and spleen can produce when needed. This platelet hoarding and decrease in production can cause an overall shortage of platelets in an affected individual's blood. The displacement of blood in the spleen can also cause imbalances in the number of clotting factors or special proteins in the blood that are also responsible for helping form clots. When blood is not able to clot properly due to deficiency of platelets or clotting factors, any injured blood vessels will bleed for extended periods. Externally, this excessive bleeding can manifest as nosebleeds or bleeding gums. Internally, the excessive bleeding can manifest as large and frequent bruising as blood accumulates just underneath the skin of the affected area.