A former drug addict is encouraging Hillingdon people to be more aware of how hepatitis can be contracted.

An estimated 3,000 people in the borough are living with the disease, but many do not know they have it.

The former heroin user, who did not wish to be named, caught hepatitis C as part of the chaotic lifestyle that came with being an addict for more than a decade.

She did not share needles but did share the spoons used for cooking up her fix.

She was not aware she had hepatitis C until she was weaning herself off the drug and was asked if she would like a routine test.

"I didn’t feel ill but was devastated when the result came back positive," said the 39 year-old, who has since undergone a six month programme of medication that included four tablets a day and a self-administered injection once a week.

"It was tough because one of the side effects is your immune system being temporarily lowered which leaves you feeling very tired. As a result, I had to go into hospital for regular check-ups.

"One of the biggest helps was Mary, the hospital’s specialist nurse. She was always available for a chat when things very tough. I’m clean now and glad I’ve got another chance at life."

She says the need for greater awareness of how you catch hepatitis C is crucial.

She still is not sure how she got the disease, but pointed out that infected blood can come from something as innocent as sharing a razor or a pair of nail clippers.

Hillingdon Hospital consultant Dr Bob Grover says the difficulty lies in a lack of obvious symptoms for hepatitis B and C, which can cause liver damage.

Dr Grover, who treats more than 400 patients a year, said: "It is a worry that so many people are walking around undiagnosed.

"Most of the diagnoses are picked up incidentally when they have blood tests for other reasons and the liver blood tests are noted to be abnormal.

"Others are picked up when they are pregnant and screened in the antenatal clinic.

"There is a lot of stigma attached to these conditions but it is manageable in the case of hepatitis B with drugs, while hepatitis C is curable in up to 90 per cent of patients, with recent advancements in medication."

Hepatitis  is transmitted through blood or sexual intercourse and can be transmitted from mother to baby.

Hepatitis C is only transmitted by blood, such as unscreened blood transfusions pre-1992, infected multiple-use needles (before the introduction of disposable needles) and drug users sharing needles and equipment.

Symptoms may include tiredness, aching joints and loss of appetite.

The hospital now has a scanner which can assess the presence and severity of liver damage within 10 minutes avoiding the previously painful procedure of taking a biopsy.

More information will be on offer at a stand staffed by specialist nurse Mary Haight at the main entrance of Hillingdon Hospital, Pield Heath Road, from 9am-3pm on Monday, July 28 - World Hepatitis Day.