Mercy's Dr. Paul Thuluvath - Myths vs. Facts About Hepatitis C

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 3 million Americans have hepatitis C and three out of four of them are baby boomers.

The virus is easy to detect with a simple blood test, but the problem often is that most people don't have symptoms so they don't get screened.

According to Mercy’s Dr. Paul Thuluvath, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology at Mercy, and Medical Director for The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease at Mercy by the time symptoms do occur, hepatitis C has developed into cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Getting tested for hepatitis C can save a person's life.

"The cure is very easy. That is the amazing thing. It's almost like a miracle, you know. For years, we struggled to treat hepatitis C. Now, with one pill, we can cure 95 of 100 people with hepatitis C," Dr. Thuluvath said.

Although a majority of people don't have symptoms, some people can have mild to severe ones, including fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting and joint pain.

To view Dr. Thuluvath’s interview regarding diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C, click here.