October is National Liver Awareness Month, so it’s the perfect time for our team at Las Vegas Gastroenterology to clear up some common myths about viral hepatitis, a condition that affects your liver health.
Nearly 300 million people live with hepatitis B and C, yet misinformation about hepatitis often keeps people from getting screened or treated at viral hepatitis clinics.
Let’s set the record straight.
Fact: Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, and when a viral infection (from hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E) causes it, it’s called viral hepatitis. A, B, and C are the most common types in America.
While hepatitis A and E usually spread through contaminated food or water and tend to be short-term, hepatitis B and C are the most concerning in the United States because they can become chronic infections and cause long-term liver damage if untreated.
Fact: While hepatitis B and C can be spread through sharing needles, that’s not the only risk. Hepatitis can also be transmitted through sexual contact, childbirth (from mother to baby), and even close household contact in some cases.
People who had blood transfusions before July 1992 or clotting factor concentrates before 1987 have a higher risk of developing hepatitis.
Fact: Many people with hepatitis B or C don’t notice symptoms for years — even decades. By the time symptoms like fatigue, jaundice (when your skin and eyes appear yellow), or abdominal pain appear, liver damage may already be advanced.
That’s why screening is so important, especially if you have risk factors.
Fact: Thanks to modern medicine, hepatitis C is now curable (since 2014) in most people with simple oral medications taken for 8-12 weeks. These treatments have high success rates (about 95%) and few side effects.
Fact: Unlike chickenpox, hepatitis doesn’t guarantee lifelong immunity. You can be reinfected with hepatitis C even after being cured, and immunity to hepatitis B only comes with vaccination or lasting antibodies.
Fact: While the liver is the primary target, chronic hepatitis can affect your whole body.
Your liver filters toxins, stores energy, and aids digestion, but it can’t do its job when it's inflamed. A poorly working liver affects your whole body.
Untreated hepatitis can also increase your risk for conditions like diabetes, kidney disease, and certain cancers.
Fact: That’s not true. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone over the age of 18 get tested for hepatitis C at least once, because as many as 85% of people with hepatitis C don’t have symptoms.
At Las Vegas Gastroenterology’s viral hepatitis clinic, we offer comprehensive testing and care for both hepatitis B and C, including specialized screening for higher-risk groups like pregnant women and people with HIV.
The best defense against viral hepatitis is awareness, screening, and prevention. If you’re at risk — or unsure of your status — Noel R. Fajardo, MD, and Filippo Cremonini, MD, can help with testing and, if needed, treatment.
This National Liver Awareness Month, take a step toward protecting your liver and your future health. To schedule a viral hepatitis screening in one of our Las Vegas, Nevada, offices, call or click today.
