Answer the questions.

1) What is heartburn? Is it a common condition?

2) Why is it necessary to study heartburn?

3) What was the aim of the study the article tells about?

4) What did the study reveal?

3. Your patient has regular symptoms of heartburn. Ask him / her questions to find possible causes of the condition.

4. Explain to your patient suffering heartburn why it can be a problem. Tell him / her about the mechanism of heartburn. Give advice how to lower the risk of developing the condition. Try to avoid medical terms.

5. Use the article to write about the heartburn gene study. Write about:

1) the background of the study;

2) the aim of the study;

3) the results;

4) the conclusions.

UNIT 10. HEPATITIS C.

Read the article and do the tasks below.

While reading, find the words and expressions that mean the following:

1) приблизительные подсчеты; 2) значительный вред, ущерб; 3) неопределенный, неясный, нечетко выраженный; 4) синдром хронической усталости; 5) желтуха.

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is an infection with the hepatitis C virus. Although there is no vaccine to protect against infection, there is effective treatment available. Estimates suggest that 8 out of 10 people don’t know they have it because they have no symptoms. About 75% of these people go on to develop a chronic hepatitis.

Because it can take years, even decades, for symptoms to appear, many people do not realize they have a problem. By the time they become ill and ask for help, considerable damage has been done to the liver.

In most cases, the initial infection doesn't cause any symptoms. When it does, they tend to be vague and non-specific. Possible symptoms of hepatitis C infection include: fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, joint pains, nausea, flu-like symptoms, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, alcohol intolerance and pain in the liver area.

The most common symptom experienced is fatigue, which may be mild but is sometimes extreme. Many people initially diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome are later found to have hepatitis C.

Unlike hepatitis A and B, hepatitis C doesn't usually cause people to develop jaundice (i.e. a yellowish pigmentation of the skin). About 1 in 5 people with chronic hepatitis C develops cirrhosis of the liver within 20 years.

Choose the statements that are false. Correct them.

1) Immunisation is one of the ways of preventing hepatitis C.

2) You can understand you have hepatitis C after many years you got the infection.

3) After 20 years, all patients diagnosed with hepatitis C have cirrhosis of the liver.

4) Fever and headache can be symptoms of hepatitis C.