Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Summer 2016

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Baby
boomers
should be
tested for
hepatitis C
now
THE NUMBER of reported cases
of hepatitis C is on the rise, and
baby boomers are among those
with greater risk of having or
contracting the disease.
Hepatitis C affects more than
3 million Americans over the age of
48. In Ohio, the number of reported
cases of hepatitis C has increased
400 percent over the past few years.
Ashtabula County Medical
Center Family Physician Catherine
Bishop, DO, said more people
should be tested for the disease,
which can lie dormant for years.
Symptoms include abdominal
pain, fever, fatigue, joint pain, itchy
skin, sore muscles, dark urine and
yellowish eyes. In advanced cases,
cirrhosis of the liver occurs. Blood
vessels begin expanding, making
the palms of your hand red. Clusters
of blood vessels begin looking
like tiny spiders. In severe cases,
bleeding into the stomach can
occur, and damage to the brain and
nervous system could happen.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) has urged all
Americans born between 1945 and
1965 to be tested for the hepatitis C
virus.
Dr. Bishop said the first test is
simple.
“We use a specific blood test that
searches for the antibodies fighting
against the hepatitis C virus,” she
said. “If a positive result is shown, a
follow-up test will search for other
specific markers of the virus.”
Additionally, a liver biopsy may
be needed to see if any damage has
been done to the liver. An MRI test
can show if there are signs of liver
cancer.
When they are caught early
enough, therapies can cure up to
75 percent of infections.
“The biggest
problem is people
don’t know they
have hepatitis C,”
Dr. Bishop said. “It
could be from past
drug use, contact
with infected
blood, improperly
disinfected
tattoo needles or multiple sex
partners. The virus can lie dormant
for 15 years or more. But it will
eventually manifest itself.”
Since hepatitis C is transmittable
to others, anyone who provides care
for a family member should also be
tested.
Many insurance companies are
now covering hepatitis C tests, and
drug companies are creating better
treatment options.
To learn more about any
of the hepatitis viruses, visit
and search
the health information library for
“hepatitis.”
To schedule an appointment with an ACMC
family physician to discuss your risk or
testing for hepatitis C, call 440-997-6969, or
walk in at any ACMC Express Care location in
Ashtabula, Conneaut, Geneva or Jefferson.
ACMC Pulse • 15
Call toll-free
440-997-2262
(ACMC)
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Catherine
Bishop, DO
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2420 Lake Ave.
Ashtabula, OH 44004