Hepatitis C

When To Call a Doctor

Call 911 or other emergency services immediately if you have hepatitis C and you:

  • Feel extremely confused or are having hallucinations.
  • Are bleeding from the rectum or are vomiting blood.

Call your doctor if:

  • You think you may have been infected with hepatitis C.
  • You have risk factors for hepatitis C, such as IV drug use.
  • You develop symptoms of hepatitis C (fatigue, sore muscles, loss of appetite, nausea, dark urine or yellow-gray stools, fever, or jaundice) and you think you may have been exposed to hepatitis C.
  • A home test for hepatitis C virus shows that you have hepatitis C. More testing is needed to determine if you have an active infection.

Watchful Waiting

Taking a wait-and-see approach (called watchful waiting) is not appropriate if you think you have hepatitis C. Talk to your doctor if you think you have been exposed to hepatitis C.

Who To See

The following health professionals can diagnose hepatitis C:

The following specialists also can diagnose the disease and provide further care:

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment


Go to previous sectionGo to previous sectionGo to top of pageGo to top of pageGo to next sectionGo to next section

Author: Maria G. Essig, MS, ELSLast Updated: August 27, 2007
Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
W. Thomas London, MD - Hepatology

© 1995-2008 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

Click here to learn about Healthwise
Click here to learn about Healthwise
Topic Contents
 Topic Overview
 Health Tools Click here to view Health Tools.
 Cause
 Symptoms
 What Happens
 What Increases Your Risk
Arrow PointerWhen To Call a Doctor
 Exams and Tests
 Treatment Overview
 Prevention
 Home Treatment
 Medications
 Surgery
 Other Treatment
 Other Places To Get Help
 Related Information
 References
 Credits