How do you know if you have hepatitis C? It can be tough to determine—in the early stages of the disease, most people aren’t aware of any symptoms. Yet, as a hepatitis virus that can attack your liver, the condition is serious. Learn more about possible symptoms and warning signs for hepatitis C.

• Up to 80 percent of those who have an acute form of hepatitis C will have no visible symptoms. In some cases, however, people will experience certain symptoms not long after the virus has infected them.These symptoms, which may be mild but can also be severe for some people, include:

▪   developing a fever

▪   feeling tired

▪   having a poor appetite

• If you are among the 20 to 30 percent of people who do develop hepatitis C symptoms soon after infection, you might also have these symptoms:

▪   nausea or vomiting

▪   pain in your stomach

▪   joint or muscle pain

▪   abnormalities in urine or bowel movements

▪   a yellowing in your eyes or skin

• Delayed Symptoms – While some people may develop hepatitis C symptoms within two weeks of infection, others might experience a much longer delay before noticing any symptoms. It could take anywhere from six months to 10 years or more before someone with the virus becomes aware of any symptoms.This is because it can take years for the virus to lead to liver damage.
• Generally, people with chronic infection with hepatitis C develop no symptoms until they have extensive scarring of the liver (cirrhosis). Some individuals, however, may have fatigue and other non-specific symptoms in the absence of cirrhosis. A minority of patients with hepatitis C have symptoms from organs outside of the liver.