Itching in hepatitis C | Symptoms of Hepatitis C

Itching in hepatitis C

Cirrhosis of the liver is a secondary disease of hepatitis C. The chronic damage to the liver leads to the destruction of liver cells. At the same time, the liver tissue is remodeled so that more and more fibrous structures develop. This remodelling means that a lot of connective tissue is formed in the liver instead of actual liver cells.

The function of the liver suffers due to the decrease in liver cells. Metabolic functions are restricted. On the one hand, this leads to waste products remaining in the body and causing jaundice and/or itching.

On the other hand, urgently needed substances are no longer produced in sufficient quantities. This can affect blood clotting, for example. The clotting factors mainly come from the liver.

Cirrhosis of the liver can therefore lead to a tendency to bleed. Cirrhosis of the liver can also cause a disturbance of the blood circulation. Since the liver vessels are also remodeled into connective tissue, high blood pressure develops especially in the liver.

This causes the blood to congestion in the organs in front of it: the spleen enlarges and water retention in the abdomen (= ascites) can occur. Cirrhosis of the liver is ultimately irreversible (irreversible) and leads inevitably to liver failure. In addition, the risk of developing liver cancer is significantly increased with cirrhosis.

In rare individual cases (approx. 1%), a life-threatening fulminant liver destruction with liver failure can occur, so that it is not uncommon that the affected person can only be helped by a liver transplant. Such a severe course is especially observed in patients who already have an immunosuppressive disease.

Liver cancer in hepatitis C

Liver cancer is a disease that usually develops on the basis of liver cirrhosis or hepatitis. In the case of hepatitis C, the first symptom is inflammation of the liver. The inflammatory processes eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver, from which hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) develops.

An important co-factor in the development of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer is an alcohol addiction (alcohol abuse) and a secondary infection with the hepatitis B virus. The symptoms in liver cancer are the same as in liver cirrhosis. So far, only surgical removal of the affected liver area has been proven to be an effective therapy. If this is not possible, under certain circumstances a liver transplantation can be considered. Radiation therapy and the local injection of chemotherapeutic agents are also sometimes used.