New screening: liver check for hepatitis

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Every second person with hepatitis B or C infection is clueless. This can cause serious damage. Liver screening should change that soon.

Liver diseases often go unnoticed for a long time. This also includes hepatic infections of type B and C. If symptoms become noticeable, the organ may have already suffered considerable damage. Then there is a risk of liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Medicines keep the viruses in check

This can be avoided by timely treatment with drugs that inhibit the multiplication of the hepatitis virus. Infections are also prevented in this way: if you don't know that you are infected, you unknowingly pass the virus on.

The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has therefore decided that in future patients with statutory health insurance will be able to be examined for the two types of hepatitis for health insurance costs. The test can be carried out once as part of the general practitioner's health check-up, which those with statutory health insurance over 35 can take every three years.

If you have already done the check-up without the hepatitis test, you can have the liver screening done before you are entitled to the next health examination.

Cash benefits from the middle of the year

However, doctors and health insurance companies are currently still negotiating the amount of the remuneration. A billing number is also still missing before practices can offer their patients the service. Associations expect this in the middle of the year.

In Germany, it is estimated that more than 300,000 people are infected with the hepatitis B virus and 250,000 with hepatitis C. Every second person affected does not know anything about their infection.

Because in many cases the infection is symptom-free or only causes unspecific signs such as tiredness, loss of appetite and nausea. Jaundice (jaundice) becomes a more noticeable symptom only in some acute cases. The hepatitis B and C viruses can be transmitted via blood and other body fluids. Most people get infected during sex or at home.

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