Following a study, it was found that 80% of people who have acute Hepatitis C might not experience any symptoms. However, in the remaining 20% of people, the symptoms emerge after a few weeks following the exposure to the virus. Initially, you will be in the acute stage of the virus. During this phase, you may notice a few prominent symptoms.

Early warning signs of Hepatitis C
The early warning signs of Hepatitis C might last for about six months. During this while, you might experience several symptoms. Some of these include:

• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Stomach ache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Change in the color of urine (it is dark-colored)
• Joint pain
• Excessive sleeping
• Jaundice
• Any other symptoms that you experience during flu

Patients tend to ignore these early warning signs of Hepatitis C. This is because these symptoms are prominent in several other cases of flu or seasonal bugs. However, if the symptoms are noticeable and do not seem to go away, it is best to get tested.

How long will these symptoms last?
The disease’s warning signs might last anywhere between two to 12 weeks of exposure to the disease. You should know that many people are asymptomatic. So, it only implies that they may not experience any signs in the early stages. However, this does not mean that the disease will not progress to the chronic phase.

Delayed symptoms
If you do not get diagnosed in time, you might have Hepatitis C for a while and be unaware of it. Doctors refer to it as the chronic form of the disease, as it lasts for some time. In a few cases, where hepatitis C goes untreated for a while, the patient may experience liver cancer or liver cirrhosis. Thus, early detection and testing are essential, as they can assure a faster course of treatment.

Some of the chronic symptoms of hepatitis C include:

• Bleeding
• Bruising
• Ascites, which is the buildup of fluid in the belly
• Hives
• Itchy skin
• Hepatic encephalopathy, which includes signs such as slurred speech, drowsiness, and confusion
• Rashes
• An appearance of spider-like blood vessels beneath the skin
• Loss of weight
• Swelling in legs

Symptoms of liver cirrhosis
Unfortunately, hepatitis C can stay in your body for two to three decades. If it goes untreated for such a prolonged period, it can lead to scarring of the liver. Thus, it is crucial to get checked for hepatitis C even if you have flu-like symptoms, which stay longer than usual or frequently come and go. Further, people born between 1945 and 1965 must also get tested for the virus.

Some of the signs that liver cirrhosis has started in your body include:

• Bruise or bleed easily
• Eye or skin turns yellow because of jaundice
• Water retention