Major Symptoms Of Hepatitis C

Spider Angiomas

Spider angiomas describe when blood vessels appear underneath an individual's skin and take on a spider-like appearance. This blood vessel arrangement usually resembles a red dot with small lines that extend in an outward fashion from the center, like spider legs. Spider angiomas common in women of older ages due to fluctuations in estrogen. Individuals affected by hepatitis C tend to experience an abnormal spike in blood estrogen levels, which is thought to trigger the formation of spider angiomas in some cases. The most prevalent parts of an individual's body where spider angiomas develop are in the face, hands, ears, forearms, near the cheekbones, and on the upper chest wall. Spider angiomas tend to fade as an individual's estrogen levels normalize with treatment, while others may need to be removed with the use of laser therapy.

Leg Swelling

Leg swelling involves an accumulation of fluid in the legs. This swelling is thought to occur in individuals affected by hepatitis C because they have hypertension in some major veins and arteries in the body, which cause excess fluid to leak from the vessel walls. The natural physical force of gravity causes the excess fluid that has leaked into the extracellular spaces in the tissue to move downward toward an affected individual's legs and feet. This excess fluid causes the legs and feet to take on a puffy or swollen appearance. These swollen parts of an affected individual's body tend to have skin that becomes stretched and has a shiny appearance. Pitts or dimples may also appear in the skin of an individual who has edema in their legs and or feet. Edema can be distinguished from other causes of swelling by placing a finger on the affected skin and checking to see if a dimple or pit remains when the finger is removed.