Hepatitis In general, chronic viral hepatitis is a relatively slow progressing disease that can extend over many years. However, regular checkups with one's doctor should be maintained, especially if certain symptoms worsen or new symptoms surface that indicate advancement of the disease. Below is a list of symptoms that require careful checks on your liver condition by your doctor. 

1. Extreme fatigue that prevents you from carrying out normal daily activities or functioning. 

2. Anorexia due to loss of all the appetite 

3. Continually bloated stomach, especially at night. 

4. Jaundice, dark urine, pale stool, extremely itchy skin, yellowish eyes and skin, and persistent dull pain in the liver area. (These are possible signs of bile retention or problems in the gallbladder.) 

5. Tendency to bleed easily, including gum and nose bleeds. Black and blue bruises in the skin, bleeding spots on the skin and mucus membrane, blood in stool causing blackish stool. (Continuous and uncontrollable hiccups is usually a warning sign of gastrointestinal bleeding.) This requires immediate attention by your doctor. 

6. Water retention in the ankles, face and stomach regions. (Signs of edema and ascites) 

7. The quantity of urine reduced to less than 500 ml per day. (Sign of water retention) 

8. Persistent low-grade fever with WBC elevation. 

9. Mental fogginess, memory loss, dizziness, and mood instability. 

10. Low blood sodium, low blood potassium, and low blood sugar levels. 

Most of these symptoms only occur only in the advanced stages of liver disease, during cirrhosis. If your condition was stable and without most of these symptoms, it is very important to have a detailed check up once some of them appear or become noticeably worse. Generally, as a chronic hepatitis patient, regular blood work is highly recommended to monitor your condition. This should include a complete blood count (CBC) and blood chemical panel (including liver profile) every three months and HCV RNA PCR every six months. If you are in the cirrhosis stage, it is important to check your AFP every six months. Proper monitoring will allow ample time to adjust your treatment protocol and prevent advancement to more serious conditions.