A new study warns that all people born between 1945 and 1965 should get themselves checked for Hepatitis C infections.
People born between 1945 and 1965 are commonly known as baby boomers and according to a new study, these people are five times more likely to be infected with Hepatitis C than other adults. In fact, according to a report by Science Daily, 75 percent of adults infected with Hepatitis C were born between 1945 and 1965.
Hepatitis is the scientific word used to address the swelling of the liver. This is most often caused by a virus. Hepatitis C is the most common hepatitis viral in the United States, and is usually spread when one comes in contact with the blood of an already infected person.
The infection has caused many deaths in the country and this number is predicted to rise in the coming years, reports Science Daily. It is the major cause of liver cancer and has resulted in many cases of liver transplant. Apart from liver cancer, Hepatitis C is known to cause liver failure, liver damages and cirrhosis.
The reason behind why most baby boomers have been infected by Hepatitis C is yet to be discovered. Scientists think that most of them could have been infected between the 1970s and 1980s, when reported numbers of Hepatitis C infections were at their highest. They also say that most of these infections could be because they came in contact with the blood of someone who was already infected, as testing of blood supply was only introduced in 1992.
Doctors reveal that the only way to detect a Hepatitis C infection is to get yourself tested, and early detection of the infection can save a person's life.
