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Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The word hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver.
There are several different kinds of viral hepatitis. In each case, the virus, once inside the body, begins to live in the liver cells, interferes with the normal activity of these cells, and then uses the cells' inner machinery to make more copies of the virus which then infect other healthy cells.
If you have hepatitis C, it's important to eat healthy and avoid alcohol. Alcohol can further damage your liver so it should be avoided whether or not you're being treated. One of the most common symptoms of hepatitis C is chronic fatigue. Fatigue may also be a side effect of hepatitis C treatment. Hepatitis C-related fatigue may be managed by getting enough rest and maintaining a healthy exercise routine.
The hepatitis C virus is very skilled at changing itself quickly. In fact there are at least six major types of HCV (referred to as genotypes) and more than 50 subtypes. This is part of the reason why the body cannot fight the virus effectively and why researchers have not been able to develop a vaccine against HCV. The genotype does not affect the severity of the infection or how quickly it progresses, but people with certain genotypes of HCV may not respond as well as others to treatment.
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