Category: Liver Diseases
A doctor writing for a Chicago newspaper has reminded the public about the need to test for the digestive disease hepatitis C, which can lead to fatal liver diseases if not caught early.
Dr. Jeffrey Goldman, a member of the Southland Health Alliance, wrote in the Southtown Star that most people who are living with hepatitis C have no symptoms of the disease, which can persist for years before being discovered.
"In most cases, early diagnosis of hepatitis C depends on the patient's ability to candidly discuss past lifestyle choices," Goldman wrote in the article.
Lifestyle choices include a patient's personal history which can include drug use and sexual activity. People who do not treat the condition can develop liver diseases such as cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.
Goldman said hepatitis C is most often diagnosed by a blood test, though the ones conducted during routine physicals do not test for the condition, which may be why some people may not realize they carry the disease.
People who may be at risk, but who are concerned about revealing their past to a doctor, may want to opt for an anonymous lab test.
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