Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment by Leading Doctors at Mercy

Hepatitis C is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus, which is spread by contact with an infected person’s blood. Over time, hepatitis C can lead to permanent liver damage if untreated.

Symptoms for hepatitis C often do not develop until the advanced stages of the disease so many people are unaware they are infected. Many people already have liver damage by the time they are diagnosed with hepatitis C.

There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C but there are preventative measures that can be taken. A simple blood test can determine whether or not a person is infected with hepatitis C.

Symptoms

Most people do not have symptoms when first infected with hepatitis C. If hepatitis C symptoms develop they may include:

• Joint pain
• Abdominal pain
• Itchy skin
• Sore muscles
• Dark urine
• Jaundice
• Fatigue

Diagnosis

Hepatitis C can be detected by a simple blood test. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that all baby boomers - those born between 1945 and 1965 - obtain this blood test even if they are not experiencing any symptoms. The majority of people infected with hepatitis C are baby boomers and many are not even aware they have it.

Treatment for hepatitis C used to involve painful drug injections that often caused flu-like side effects, however, a new treatment for hepatitis C provides many benefits:

• Eliminates the need for painful injections
• Shortens treatment time (typically three to six months instead of a full year with previous treatments)
• Minimal side effects
• Can prevent life-threatening liver damage caused by cirrhosis or liver cancer
• A high cure rate - 95 percent of patients are cured

The doctors of The Center for Liver and Hepatobiliary Diseases at Mercy were among the medical professionals whose research led to the development of this new treatment for hepatitis C. Our doctors strongly encourage all adults born between 1945 and 1965 to ask their primary doctor to perform the blood test to determine whether or not they may be infected with hepatitis C.