Glossary for Chronic Hepatitis C

Abdominal discomfort: The sensation of discomfort located in the abdomen
Alcoholic liver disease: Alcoholic liver disease is the major cause of liver disease in Western countries, (in Asian countries, viral hepatitis is the major cause). It arises from the excessive ingestion of alcohol.
Autoimmune Hepatitis: Liver inflammation caused due to autoimmune processes where the body's immune system attacks the liver.
Birth symptoms: Symptoms related to childbirth.
Chronic Hepatitis B: Chronic form of HepB liver infection.
Chronic infections: Ongoing and often slow progressing infection; opposite to acute infections.
Chronic liver disease: Any form of chronic liver disease
Cirrhosis of the liver: Scarring of the liver from alcohol or other causes.
Cryoglobulinemia: These are immune cells that precipitate in the cold and redissolve on warming.
Diseases contagious contagious mother-to-fetus: Diseases contagious from mother to a fetus during pregnancy
Diseases contagious from blood: Diseases that can be contracted from blood
Diseases contagious from blood transfusion: Diseases that affect the digestive system
Diseases contagious from intravenous needles: Diseases that can be contracted from intravenous needles
Fatigue: Excessive tiredness or weakness.
Fibromyalgia: A difficult to diagnose condition affecting the muscles and/or joints
Glomerulonephritis: Kidney disease where the kidney's have problems removing waste material and excessive fluid.
Hepatitis: Any type of liver inflammation or infection.
Hepatitis C: Viral liver infection spread by blood.
Hepatoma: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver.
Joint pain: Pain affecting the joints
Lichen planus: Skin rash
Liver cancer: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver.
Liver conditions: Any condition that affects the liver
Liver failure: Acute liver failure (ALF) is an uncommon condition in which the rapid deterioration of liver function results in coagulopathy and alteration in the mental status of a previously healthy individual.
Muscle pain: Pain that is located anatomically in the region of muscles
Nausea: The queasy feeling of nausea and often also vomiting.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A type of lymphoma, a cancer affecting lymph nodes and the immune system.
Poor appetite: Loss or reduction in appetite for food
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda: A rare metabolic condition involving a deficiency of the enzyme uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase. This results in a buildup of porphyrins in the skin which makes it sensitive to light. Most symptoms tend to primarily affected the areas of skin most exposed to sun e.g. back of hands and arms.
Sclerosing Cholangitis: Chronic hereditary disease causing inflammation and destruction of the bile ducts in and around the liver with subsequent blockage to bile flow
Seronegative Arthritis: Classification given to the group of joint conditions with similar features to rheumatoid arthritis, but affecting different joints and lacking the specific autoantibodies used to identify rheumatoid arthritis
Sjogren's Syndrome: Autoimmune disease damaging the eye tear ducts and other glands.
Viral Hepatitis: hepatitis describes inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis may be caused by alcohol, drugs, autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases, and viruses. Viral infection accounts for more than half the cases of acute hepatitis.
Viral diseases: Any disease that is caused by a virus
Wilson's Disease: Wilson disease, or hepatolenticular degeneration, is a neurodegenerative disease of copper metabolism.