Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is one of the few chronic viral infections where tablets can clear the virus completely in the large majority of people. The real challenge is finding it before liver damage builds up, not treating it.
Medically reviewed by the RIIMS medical team · Last updated: June 2026
Go to hospital now
- Yellow eyes or skin with confusion or unusual drowsiness
- Vomiting blood, or black tarry stools
See a doctor soon (not an emergency)
- A positive hepatitis C test that has not yet been followed up
- Unexplained tiredness with a relevant exposure history
Is hepatitis C curable?
Hepatitis C is curable in more than 95% of people with a 12–24 week course of tablets (WHO). Treatment is free under India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. Unlike hepatitis B, no vaccine exists for hepatitis C, so prevention rests on avoiding exposure, unsterilized needles or instruments, unscreened blood, and shared razors or injecting equipment, rather than vaccination. The real obstacle to eliminating hepatitis C from India is not treatment, which works extremely well, but diagnosis: most people carrying the virus do not know it, because the infection is usually silent for years until liver damage is already advanced. A simple blood test is all it takes to find out. If you have ever had a blood transfusion before screening became routine, used shared needles, or had dialysis, tattooing or piercing with reused equipment, testing is worth doing even if you feel completely well.
Symptoms to watch for
- Often no symptoms for years
- Tiredness
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin
- Loss of appetite
- Found incidentally on a blood test
- Joint pain
When to consult a doctor
If you have ever had a blood transfusion before screening was routine, shared needles, had dialysis or invasive procedures with reused equipment, or a partner with hepatitis C, get tested even without symptoms. Yellow eyes, confusion or vomiting blood need urgent care.