Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver and other serious health conditions. Approximately 3 million people in the country are living with chronic hepatitis C, and about 17,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Here are the early warning signs of hepatitis C one should know about:

• Poor appetite:  One of the most common early warning signs of hepatitis C that people ignore is the loss of appetite. Research has proved that people with chronic hepatitis C suffer from taste alterations and have difficulty identifying sweet and umami flavors, which may affect their appetite and even lead to weight loss.
• A constant feeling of tiredness:  Since hepatitis C is a viral infection, the body keeps trying to fight it, which causes a feeling of constant tiredness. In acute cases of hepatitis C, tiredness can also be the result of an injury to the liver.
• Increased body temperature:  Another early warning sign of hepatitis C that is often misdiagnosed as a symptom of other health conditions is fever. As the body is fighting the viral infection, it increases the base temperature to try to destroy the viruses, so recurring bouts of fever or body temperature that does not go down with medication needs professional treatment.
• Nausea and vomiting:  Hepatitis C causes fluid buildup in the abdomen, and this condition is called ascites. The excess fluid build-up leads to a feeling of nausea and vomiting.
• Yellowing of skin and eyes:  Jaundice is one of the early warning signs of hepatitis C and is characterized by yellow eyes and skin. Bilirubin is a yellow liquid that is produced by RBC breakdown. It travels through the liver and digestive tract before being excreted, and if the liver does not function properly, it is unable to breakdown bilirubin, resulting in high bilirubin levels in the bloodstream. This causes a slight yellow tinge to the eyes and skin, and the symptom needs immediate medical attention.
• Dark-colored urine:  When the liver does not function properly, it can also result in excess bilirubin being excreted through the urine, and this leads to dark-colored urine.
• Clay-colored stool:  The brown color of stool is due to the presence of bile salts that are produced by the liver. If the functioning of the liver is affected, the production of bile is also reduced, so another early warning sign of hepatitis C that one should keep a watch on is light-colored stool.

Understanding these early warning signs of hepatitis C is important for one to know when to approach a doctor and undertake treatment for the condition.