Hepatitis C is a virus that targets the liver. According to the CDC, approximately 17,000 people become infected with hepatitis C every year in the United States, though only 849 were reported in 2007. Of those 17,000 people, about four percent...
Many people infected with hepatitis C don't know they have this often chronic, blood-borne, lifelong viral infection that affects about 4.1 million Americans, according to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders....
A marriage license is required in all 50 states. A blood test used to be one of the requirements for obtaining a marriage license, but many states have now dropped this requirement, and as of 2010, blood tests for certain diseases that could be...
The most commonly used indicators of healthy liver function include the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, or AST, and alanine aminotransferase, or ALT. When liver injury occurs, these enzymes flood the bloodstream. Blood tests that show high...
Hepatitis C is a silent disease that usually does not present obvious symptoms for many years following infection. A virus that damages the liver, leading to inflammation, causes the hepatitis C infection. Hepatitis C is a common among drug...
Hepatitis C is a liver condition caused by the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C is diagnosed by a blood test, and it usually does not self-resolve. In some cases hepatitis C can cause liver scarring or liver cancer, and some people who have been...
Sexually-transmitted diseases, or STDs, are diseases that are spread and contracted through sexual contact. Many can cause serious complications or health problems, so it's important to get tested for STDs if you suspect that you may have been...
Your liver is the largest internal organ in your body. It performs many essential functions, including storage of digested nutrients; production of important blood proteins such as albumin and clotting factors; removal of toxic compounds, drugs...
The liver is one of the largest and most important organs in the body, in charge of detoxifying the body of noxious substances, and of processing ingested food into energy for use by other organs. The liver contains a number of enzymes to aid in...
The exact number of women infected with sexual transmitted diseases is difficult to determine because reporting is required only for cases of gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia. Data show that more women than men are infected with STDs. This...
Getting a test for a sexually transmitted disease can be a scary event, especially if you have never had one before. The CDC recommends that sexually active adults have annual STD screenings, more often if they have multiple sexual partners....
Life insurance companies determine the amount of coverage they can provide for a specific price based on a number of factors. When considering whether and how to insure someone, the company will look at age, weight, social and personal behaviors,...
Increased levels of liver enzymes indicate inflammation, injury or damage to liver cells. The most commonly found elevated liver enzymes in blood tests are alanine transaminase, or ALT, and aspartate transaminase, or AST. In most cases, high...
Blood-borne viruses are a broad group of infections that can be detected in a blood test. Some common viruses include hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and mononucleosis. HIV and some types of hepatitis are transmitted through the...
Hepatitis A is a liver disorder obtained via infection with the hepatitis A virus. It is diagnosed via a blood test. About 30 percent of Americans have been infected with hepatitis A, notes the "Journal of the American Medical Association." The...
A liver function test is a blood test used to determine any disease, damage or impact on the liver. The health of the hepatic, or liver, system is reflected in this panel of tests that include clotting abilities, liver enzymes and bilirubin...
When diagnosing hepatitis B, doctors frequently start by asking questions about recent behaviors that may have put a person at risk for the virus. Such behaviors include unprotected sexual activity, sharing needles for drugs or getting a tattoo...
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and is also called a silent killer because for a long time it shows no symptoms or the symptoms mimic those of a minor flu. Oftentimes, a patient has...
From before you were born until now, your liver has been a powerhouse of an organ. It is essential to regulating various life processes, from blood formation in utero to detoxifying everything you ate today. Maintaining your liver health is...
Hepatitis B is a highly contagious infection of the liver, which can range from mild to severe. Hepatitis B can be classified as acute or chronic, depending on how long the virus remains in the body. According to the Centers for Disease Control...
Hepatitis A can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Interestingly, according to the website Family Doctor, young children who develop hepatitis A typically have mild cases with few symptoms while older children and adults...
Hepatitis C is a serious viral infection that results in inflammation of the liver. This is considered an infectious disease because it can be transmitted from one person to another through contaminated blood and tissue products, needles and...
Jaundice, also known by its medical name of icterus, is a condition characterized by yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. The mucus membranes, such as those in the mouth, may also take on a yellow hue in people suffering from jaundice....
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major medical issue, not just for personal care but for the public at large. STDs range from annoying and painful infections to life-threatening illnesses. Getting tested for STDs can be daunting, but the...
Zocor, or simvastatin, is in a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. Drugs.com states Zocor is an effective drug in lowering the risk of a heart attack and drug by decreasing LDL-the type of cholesterol responsible for increased risk...
More than 250,000 people are infected with hepatitis B virus in the U.S. every year. Infection is most common in young adults who are sexually active or work in hospitals and medical laboratories. Hepatitis B virus damages liver cells, causing the...
In the United States, about 3.2 million people live with a chronic hepatitis C infection, the type of hepatitis C that remains in a patient's body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The hepatitis C virus infects the...
Milk thistle, also known as silybum marianum, is an herb whose properties have strong effects on the function of the liver. Used by herbalists for hundreds of years, milk thistle has been touted as a treatment for hepatitis, liver failure,...
According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors can assess the health of an individual's liver by performing a liver function panel. A liver function panel is a series of blood tests that measures the levels of enzymes and proteins in the blood. These blood...
Hepatitis G is caused by a viral infection but does not cause any disease process or symptoms. Learn more about hepatitis G in this health video.
