Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Symptoms

Immediately after infection (initially) there might be mild or no abnormal symptoms at all. Unlike Hepatitis A, the body usually does not become yellow. If the symptoms do appear, they might include:

• General weakness without any apparent cause
• Easy fatigue. Soreness of muscles as if overworked.
• Abdominal pain without any apparent cause
• Undue heat and itching of skin
• Dark yellow urine of high specific gravity
• Sickly appearance of face
• Sometimes the skin may look as if jaundiced
• Finally, what happens in case of hepatitis B, happens in case of hepatitis C as well.

If the initial acute symptoms go unnoticed or unattended, one may reach the chronic stage without noticeable symptoms. The disease may thus remain undetected for years and years till it is detected accidentally, when donating blood or having a medical check up as requirement for a particular job or travel abroad. In the advanced, chronic and replicative stage, most of the following symptoms may appear.

• Gastritis, loss of appetite and weight loss accompanied by fatigue start becoming noticeable. Nausea and vomiting may become frequent.
• Anxiety, dark urine, edema of different limbs, hypertension, frequent or continued headache, discomfort in liver region and feelings of general discomfort are among commonly found symptoms.
• With further advancement, hemorrhages may occur, which may be quite severe and intense at times. Gradually the spleen starts becoming large and liver starts shrinking (liver cirrhosis). Ascites also starts developing at this stage. This is close to the last stage.
• Other symptoms may be different for different individuals but kidney-related symptoms are generally common among the cases of hepatitis B. In the advanced stages of the disease, kidney failure and liver cirrhosis are quite frequent.

Consider a medical check up. In case the infection is found, go for the treatment without unnecessary delay.