Jaundice in Adults

A blood transfusion prior to 1992 could have spread the virus that causes hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a slow infection for most people. It can take 20 years or longer for symptoms of cirrhosis (liver scarring) to appear.

Injecting drugs can spread hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus. You can get exposed to these infections if you share needles, share a batch of a drug, or share other paraphernalia (such as melting containers, storage containers, or "rigs") with other individuals who might carry this infection.

You should be evaluated by a physician, such as your primary care doctor or a doctor in an emergency department, as soon as possible.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C can be diagnosed by blood tests. Your evaluation will probably begin with blood tests and a look at the liver using an ultrasound or a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen.