Doctor recommends everyone get tested at least once for Hepatitis C

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - May is Hepatitis Awareness Month.

According to the CDC, Hepatitis is a medical term that means inflammation of the liver. This can be caused by a variety of things, such as alcohol or hard drug use, medications, or most commonly, viral infections. Hepatitis C is the most common variant of the infection, affecting 3 percent of the world’s population.

Dr. Katrina Victoria, Infectious Disease Specialist with Prevea Health in Eau Claire, says many people that have Hepatitis C may not even know it.

“The symptoms are just very vague. In the initial phase, you, like I said, might not have symptoms, but then later on, once you develop chronic infection, you might only feel fatigued. So that’s the most common symptom of chronic Hepatitis C infection,” Dr. Katrina said.

Dr. Victoria says due to medical technology improving over the last 10 years, Hepatitis C can be treated and cured.

She recommends everyone get tested at least once in their life, and more often if you engage in risky behaviors such as IV drug use.

Additional information is available on the CDC website HERE.

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