Can Hepatitis C Heal on Its Own?

According to the World Health Organization, acute hepatitis C infections can disappear on their own. A hepatitis C infection is considered acute when it lasts less than 6 months and doesn’t cause any symptoms. 

Common symptoms of hepatitis C include pain in the lower right-hand side of the body, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, mood swings, and brain fog. Symptoms vary from individual to individual. Some may experience all of them, and some only a few, while others may stay symptom-free despite living with an active infection in their bodies. 

However, you can have the infection active in your body for years, slowly damaging your liver, all while experiencing very little to no discomfort.

To help you get peace of mind, our experts at Carolina Digestive Health Associates explain how the hepatitis C virus acts in your body and the best approach to ensuring you are safe and healthy. 

Understanding the hepatitis C virus mechanism of action 

Hepatitis C is a virus that lives in your liver. Your immune system will fight it, but in some cases, it fails to clear it out. You can get hepatitis C from sharing needles, being exposed to sharp objects and the blood of people who are infected, undergoing hemodialysis, or being born to a mother who is infected with the virus. 

In some people, the virus can go undetected for years, and just because it doesn’t cause symptoms doesn’t mean it’s not destroying your liver. Hepatitis C, when left untreated, can cause liver cirrhosis. 

Getting help for your hepatitis C

As it stands, hepatitis C is the number one cause of liver cancer and liver transplants, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Hepatitis C is curable.

The testing and treatment are straightforward, meaning you’ll only need a few blood tests and imaging tests to look for signs of hepatitis C in your blood and liver. If our providers suspect extensive damage to your liver, they may also order a biopsy. 

If you do get diagnosed, the treatment involves taking a couple of pills per day for a number of weeks until the virus is cleared up. It is simple and straightforward and has very few side effects. 

If you suspect you have hepatitis C, don’t count on it to disappear on its own. While it can be possible, there’s no way to know whether you cleared out the virus or not unless a medical provider looks at the viral load in your blood. Eliminate the risks of severe complications by scheduling an appointment with us. Our team is more than happy to run all the tests necessary and take all the steps to ensure you are well.