The word hepatitis means inflammation or swelling of the liver. This inflammation can be caused by infection. Hepatitis can also be caused by exposure to alcohol, certain medications, chemicals, poisons, and other toxins, or by other diseases. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the many viruses that can cause inflammation of the liver. There are a number of hepatitis viruses (including A, B, C and D) but they are all completely different from one other. They cause different illnesses and may require different treatments.

When people contract the hepatitis C virus, their bodies produce antibodies to try to destroy it. In most cases, a person's antibodies don't identify the hepatitis C virus properly and the infection becomes chronic (long-term). Most people with hepatitis C don't know that they have it because some will never experience symptoms while for others, symptoms take an average 10-15 years to develop. Some people may have hepatitis C for 20 years or more before realizing they have it.

Hepatitis C is a virus that attacks and invades liver cells. As a result of being infected by the virus, the liver cells may be injured and die. The damaged areas are replaced by scar tissue (fibrosis). Cirrhosis is a result of extensive scarring of the liver. Hepatitis C accounts for 60 to 70 percent of the cases of chronic hepatitis in the United States. Most patients have no symptoms and may not be aware they are infected. It is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, and the most common reason for liver transplantation in the US.

There are 2 main kinds of hepatitis, acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis. When a person has hepatitis, the liver may become inflamed very suddenly. This is called acute hepatitis. If you have acute hepatitis, you might have nausea, vomiting, fever and body aches. Or you may not have any symptoms. Most people get over the acute inflammation in a few days or a few weeks. Sometimes, however, the inflammation doesn't go away. When the inflammation doesn't go away, the person has chronic hepatitis. Most people who are infected with hepatitis C don't have any symptoms for years. However, hepatitis C is a chronic illness (it doesn't go away). If you have hepatitis C, you need to be watched carefully by a doctor because it can lead to cirrhosis (a liver disease) and liver cancer.

Hepatitis C is a type of virus that primarily attacks the liver. As the virus reproduces, it kills surrounding cells and triggers the body's immune system to fight back. This defense can lead to reactions, such as inflammation and/or fibrosis (scarring) of the liver. If left untreated, hepatitis C can result in liver damage, which can lead to serious conditions such as cirrhosis (in which healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue) or liver cancer.

Most people who are infected with the hepatitis C virus go on to develop chronic hepatitis C. The infection becomes chronic (long-lasting) because the body's immune system is unable to fight it off. You might think that such a condition would make you feel sicker and sicker over time. However, for many people, hepatitis C is an asymptomatic condition — which means they may not have symptoms for many years after they are infected. No one can tell you now whether or not you will have symptoms in the future.

Here's the tricky part: having no symptoms does not mean that hepatitis C is not attacking your liver. The virus can stay active in the body without producing recognizable symptoms. In fact, many people have no symptoms that they are aware of until significant liver damage has occurred. That's why it's so important to talk to your doctor about your treatment decision.