\nHepatitis C is usually transmitted through contact with infected blood and blood products. This may include needle sharing, such as with drug injections, or from tattooing. While less common, it can also spread through unprotected sex, from a birthing parent with HCV to their baby while giving birth, and medical procedures with cross-contamination.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nYour healthcare provider, such as a primary care doctor, can diagnose hepatitis C. After that, they may ask you to see a specialist, such as a hepatologist (a doctor who specializes in liver care), a gastroenterologist (a doctor specializing in digestive diseases), or an infectious disease expert.\n<\/p>\n Zay Nyi Nyi \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/span> <\/p>\n \nYour doctors will need to take your medical history, perform a physical exam, and request diagnostic tests to diagnose hepatitis C.\n<\/p>\n \nA diagnosis usually begins with reviewing your medical history. Your healthcare provider will ask if you are experiencing any possible symptoms of hepatitis C, such as:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nMany people with hepatitis C don't show any symptoms. Because of this, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends HCV screening for everyone aged 18-79 years, even if you don\u2019t have any signs of liver disease.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nYour healthcare provider will also want to know if you have a high risk for the condition. They may ask if you:<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nAlong with asking about your history of possible symptoms, your healthcare provider may also examine you for signs of hepatitis C. Some things they\u2019ll examine are your:<\/span>\n<\/p>\n Hepatitis C Symptoms<\/span><\/p>\n \nAfter the physical exam, your doctor may request some tests that can identify hepatitis C in your blood. Each test will require a blood sample that is then examined in a lab. Some of these tests are:\n<\/p>\n \nHepatitis C Antibody Test:<\/strong> This <\/strong>screening test detects HCV antibodies in your blood, which are specific proteins in your immune system. A positive antibody test means you have been exposed to HCV in the past: this could mean you either have a current infection or your body may have cleared the virus. Some people with HCV can clear the virus\u2014or recover from it\u2014either spontaneously without treatment or after taking treatments for HCV.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nIf your hepatitis C antibody test is positive, you\u2019ll need a confirmatory test like the hepatitis C RNA test, which can determine if you currently have hepatitis C.\n<\/p>\n \nHepatitis C RNA Test<\/strong>: This confirmatory test detects the RNA\u2014a type of genetic material\u2014from the hepatitis C virus. The hepatitis C RNA test can detect an ongoing hepatitis C infection and help estimate how much virus is in your blood (known as the viral load).<\/span> This information can help your healthcare provider choose the best treatments for you and monitor how well the treatments are working.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nGenotype Testing:<\/strong> There are seven major strains or genotypes of hepatitis C, named genotype 1\u20137. In the United States, genotype 1 is the most common strain, accounting for 60% or more of HCV cases. Genotype testing is a specific blood test that helps your healthcare provider determine the strain of HCV, which can help them tailor your treatments accordingly.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nHepatitis C Core Antigen Test: <\/strong>This test measures the hepatitis C core antigen in your blood. It is not as accurate as the HCV RNA test and may fail to detect mild infections or those with low viral levels. But where HCV RNA is unavailable, doctors may use it along with antibody testing to detect HCV infections.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nYour doctors may also ask you to do some imaging tests to assess your liver and determine if there\u2019s any damage.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nAside from the specific genotype of HCV, the type of hepatitis C can vary by how long the condition lasts. It\u2019s separated into two groups: acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term).<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nResearch suggests that chronic HCV infections are more likely to get worse in people who also have:<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nIf not treated, chronic HCV infections can lead to permanent liver damage, seen in conditions like cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure.\n<\/p>\n What Is Hepatitis C?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nSeveral diseases of the digestive system\u2014especially liver conditions\u2014have similar symptoms as hepatitis C. Your healthcare provider will also want to check for any of the following conditions.\n<\/p>\n \nOther liver conditions with similar symptoms to hepatitis C include:<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nYour doctors can tell the difference between a hepatitis C infection and other liver diseases using hepatitis C screening and imaging tests.\n<\/p>\n \nPeople with hepatitis C are more likely to have another disease or more than two diseases at the same time.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nAfter an HCV diagnosis, your healthcare provider may check if you have any other conditions that are commonly associated with hepatitis C. Some conditions include:\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nHepatitis C is a contagious viral disease that can cause permanent liver damage. To diagnose hepatitis C, your healthcare provider will need your medical history, a physical examination, and additional tests, such as blood tests.\n<\/p>\n \nImaging tests may be done to determine any liver damage. Your doctor may also order other tests to rule out other conditions with symptoms that are similar to those of hepatitis C. If you do have HCV, your healthcare provider can also check if you have other conditions commonly associated with hepatitis C, such as diabetes, HIV, depression, and certain cancers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hepatitis C is an inflammatory liver condition caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). About 3% of people in the world have this virus. Roughly 2.4 million people live with hepatitis C in the United States. Hepatitis C is usually transmitted through contact with infected blood and blood products. This may include needle sharing, such […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,197,1077,196],"tags":[37,199,1078,198],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17269"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17269\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Close](\"https:\/\/www.health.com\/thmb\/zOymGxxflbe5kX66kE6BkfHQhEM=\/1500x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()\/Health-man-abdominal-pain-hepatitis-GettyImages-1446402356-11e7c8340ce04ca7adcb07cbafbf84a1.jpg\")
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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Getting a Diagnosis <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Medical History <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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Physical Examination <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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Blood Tests <\/span> <\/h3>\n
Imaging Tests <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Types of Hepatitis C <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Screening for Related Conditions <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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Conditions That May Coexist With Hepatitis C <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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A Quick Review <\/span> <\/h2>\n