July 28th is World Hepatitis Day and Lawrence County Memorial Hospital wants to share a few facts to bring awareness to the disease.
Health officials say the 4,000 deaths caused by Viral Hepatitis each year are preventable. The disease affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Locally, providers frequently encounter patients who are afflicted. “Mostly, we diagnose more than we treat,” said Katie Clark, a nurse practitioner at Lawrence County Memorial Hospital’s Primary Care Clinic. “We usually refer them to
(gastrointestinal) doctors to be treated.”
Everyone between the ages of 45 and 65 should be tested for Hepatitis C, according to Clark. She added that anyone who has a history of injection drug use is susceptible, as are people who have sexual relations with someone who is infected.
What is Hepatitis? Simply put, Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. In the United States, Hepatitis is usually caused by the Hepatitis A, B or C virus.
“It’s important to get tested, then treated,” said Clark. “There is a lot of new treatment out there. If treated, it can be taken care of, but the sooner, the better.”
For more information, click here or call (618) 943-1000.
