Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a viral disease that affects the liver. The liver is an organ in the human body that converts everything you eat or drink into nutrients and gets rid of toxins. Hepatitis C and kidney disease are connected. Hepatitis C can cause kidney disease, and sometimes kidney patients can get hepatitis C from hemodialysis, a treatment for kidney failure, if a medical facility does not carefully follow guidelines for infection control.
Hepatitis C and the liver
Hepatitis C is a disease that attacks the liver. It is caused by the hepatitis C virus, which spreads when a person comes into contact with the blood of a person infected with hepatitis C. Learn more about hepatitis C and the liver.
How do people get hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C spreads when the blood of a person who is infected with hepatitis C gets into the body of a person who does not have hepatitis C. Learn about the different ways people can get infected.
Who is at risk?
Some people are at higher risk than others for having or getting hepatitis C. Learn how age and other factors can increase risks.
Symptoms of hepatitis C
When a person is first infected with hepatitis C, this is called an acute infection. During the acute infection, most people do not have symptoms. If symptoms do happen, they can include fever, fatigue, vomiting and more. Learn more about the symptoms of hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C and kidney disease are connected. Hepatitis C can cause kidney disease, and sometimes kidney patients can get hepatitis C from hemodialysis, a treatment for kidney failure.
The most common form of treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD, or kidney failure) is hemodialysis. If your medical facility does not follow guidelines for infection control in the right way, it is possible to get hepatitis C from doing hemodialysis.
You can still be eligible (allowed) to get a kidney transplant if you have hepatitis C.
If you are at risk for hepatitis C, ask your doctor about getting tested. Testing is the only way to know if you have hepatitis C.
The goal of hepatitis C treatment is to decrease the viral load (the amount of the virus) in your body until the virus is no longer found in your body.
