Many people do not feel sick when they are first infected with Hep C. If they do, the most common early symptoms with acute infection are:
- flu-like symptoms
- mild fever
- muscle aches
- fatigue (feeling very tired)
- loss of appetite
- nausea
There is much debate about whether chronic (long-term) infection produces symptoms.
Many people do not feel sick when they are infected with Hep C.
However, many people living with chronic Hep C infection report fatigue, flu-like symptoms and joint and muscle aches that may be a result of chronic infection.
Symptoms with advanced, chronic infection may include:
- dark coffee-coloured urine (rather than dark yellow)
- clay-coloured stools
- stomach pain
- yellowing of the skin and/or whites of the eyes (jaundice)
Even though you may have no symptoms of the infection for many years, you can still have an active infection and can pass on Hep C to others.
The only way to find out if you have hepatitis C is to get your blood tested (see Getting Tested for more information on testing and diagnosis of hepatitis C).
If you have taken part in any of the risk behaviours, even a long time ago, talk to a healthcare professional about getting tested.
