Naomi Judd had a nursing degree and worked as a registered nurse after she graduated in 1979. She was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 1990, and according to Healthline, she believed she contracted the infection after being pricked by a needle while working as a nurse. Her doctor told her that she had about three years to live at the time she was diagnosed.
Hepatitis C spreads through contaminated blood, and as reported by Mayo Clinic, most of those infected are not aware that they have the infection because symptoms may take years to manifest, as was the case with Judd. Some common symptoms include jaundice, weight loss, fatigue, and poor appetite, just to name a few. Hepatitis C causes inflammation of the liver, which can lead to liver cirrhosis or cancer.
At the time of her diagnosis, Judd was 44 years old and was at the peak of her singing career. She performed as a duo — The Judds — with her daughter Wynonna and was in the middle of a tour when she announced her retirement (via Taste of Country).
