DEAR DR. DONOHUE: When he was 20, my son came down with hepatitis C. He’s never said how he got it, but he was running around with a very wild bunch then. He still has the virus at age 27. Should he be treated? He never was. I wonder what’s in store for him and if he can marry and have a family. Can he? — C.S.

ANSWER: Worldwide, 175 million people are infected with the hepatitis C virus. In the U.S., 4 million carry it. Between 70 percent and 80 percent of infected people will harbor the virus for life. Of that number, around 20 percent develop liver cirrhosis in 20 years, and a smaller number are stricken with liver cancer. Hepatitis C is the most common reason for a liver transplant.

People catch the virus in a number of ways. Sharing needles to inject drugs is one way. Health-care workers can get it from an accidental stick with a needle used on an infected person. Before 1992, blood transfusion was a major source of infection. Tattooing or body piercing by unlicensed practitioners or those who do not adhere to sterile techniques is another route of transmission. Sex with multiple partners is a possible way of contracting the illness. Sex with a single partner who has the virus is not a common route of passage. Your son can marry and possibly but not likely infect his wife, and will not infect his children.

This young man has to establish himself with a doctor. Lab tests will show if his liver is suffering any damage, and blood tests give a reliable estimate of how great a number of viruses is circulating in his blood. Treatment will hinge on that information. A liver biopsy might be necessary. Some doctors feel all who show evidence of current infection ought to undergo treatment.

He should completely abstain from alcohol. Drinking puts his liver in further jeopardy.

The booklet on hepatitis A, B and C explains these common infections in detail. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 503, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 68-year-old male in excellent health who exercises regularly, but I have trouble sleeping for more than five or six hours a night. To get the desired seven to eight hours of sleep, I’ve been taking a sleep aid (diphenhydramine), and have not noticed any unpleasant side effects.

Are there any long-term problems with taking this sleep aid on a frequent basis? — S.P.

ANSWER: Diphenhydramine is one of the first antihistamines to be marketed. One brand name is Benadryl. Sleepiness is a side effect of most of the early antihistamines. In other words, you take the medicine for its side effect of drowsiness.

Millions of people have taken this drug since it was first marketed. You can take it on a regular basis.

Why are you convinced that six hours of sleep is insufficient for you? Do you feel tired during the day with only six hours? If you feel fine or if you take a nap during the day, that might be all the sleep you actually need.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: TV ads for medicines list all sorts of their side effects. Do foods — fresh, canned, processed or dried — have side effects? — J.H.

ANSWER: You’ve got me wondering what you mean by “side effects.” Do you mean something that puts your health in danger? Foods don’t usually have a bad effect on health — unless a person has an allergy to that particular food.

Undesired effects? Well, yes. Too much food leads to obesity. Some foods cause results that are less than desirable. Beans, for example, one of our most wholesome foods, increase gas production. Sugars promote tooth decay.

I have to think about this some more.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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