One of the main problems of hepatitis C is the chronic nature of the disease and the asymptomatic cases of hepatitis C. The virus under this chronic disease usually worsens the liver condition without giving an early sign. In other words, most patients have an asymptomatic infection until the liver is severely damaged.
In this article, we’re reviewing the most critical symptoms in different stages of the disease:
Jaundice
This is the clinical term to describe a yellowish color in the skin and mucosa. This is the classic symptom of hepatitis, but it is slightly different in hepatitis C. Patients do not always show an intense skin coloration change. Their jaundice may not be easy to notice in the skin, but it is more apparent in the eye’s white portion. Related symptoms such as pruritus (itchy skin) are also common in these patients, especially in the late stages of the disease.
Jaundice is due to an accumulation of bilirubin in the blood when the liver cannot eliminate it into the bile. When it goes through the skin tissue, bilirubin sticks in the extracellular matrix and causes a color change.
