occur known as fibrosis. Drinking alcohol excessively won’t only affect the liver but it will trigger other parts of your body as well, such as; brain, heart, pancreas, sex hormones, kidneys and lungs. Cirrhosis itself occurs when the normal structure of the liver is disrupted by bands of scar tissue. When cirrhosis is present, scar tissue increased resistance to blood flow through the liver and this results a term called portal hypertension (high pressures develop in veins that drain into the liver). Portal hypertension also creates many complications of liver disease such as fluid retention and esophageal bleeding. According to American College of Gastroenterology, “it is expected that the number of people affected by cirrhosis will continue to increase in the near future.” Also indicated by American College of Gastroenterology, “some patients may have more than one cause for cirrhosis (such as alcohol excess and viral hepatitis). A large portion of patients (up to 20%) do not have an identifiable cause for cirrhosis. This is known as cryptogenic cirrhosis.” Symptoms of liver cirrhosis may be absent or non-specific at early stages. In the early stages of this disease it is hard to see any symptoms but as the disease progresses then the symptoms become more prominent. Early non-specific symptoms mostly include fatigue and itching, but in general many such as edema, digestive tract bleeding, jaundice, ascites and hepatic encephalopathy usually occur. In essence, someone who…
to NSAID use will include various categories of drugs such as H2RAs, PPIs, and agents that enhance mucosal defenses (antacids, sucralfate, and bismuth subsalicylate). These drug is that block acid secretion example omeprazole, others are those that reduces acid production i.e. ranitidine and antacids like magnesium carbonate tabs. The goal for ulcers caused by H pylori is eradication of the bacteria. The following combination of drugs was successfully used in the eradication of H pylori are PPI…
Second, if no inflammation is confirmed, then other disease processes should be excluded (e.g., C. deficile, steatorrhea, etc.). Then, as outlined in the position statement of the World Congress of Gastroenterology, an empiric increase in the TNF antagonistic dose (address low drug concentration); then switching the type of TNF antagonist (address antidrug antibodies) and finally changing class/mechanism of biologic or proceed to surgery (address non TNF mediated pathways). This strategy has…
Strep Throat Streptococcal pharyngitis, which is more commonly known as strep throat, is a common disease that effects people all the time. Bacteria, viruses, mycoplasmas, fungi, and parasites cause strep throat. Streptococcus bacteria may live in your throat or nose without causing any symptoms. In the winter most people actually have this bacteria in their nose or mouth and be healthy. These people are carries who do not have any symptoms nor spread the bacteria to other people. If these…
What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a term used to describe disorders in which the intestines become red and swollen, or inflamed. The two major types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease are Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. They are very similar, but the main difference in the two are the parts of the digestive tract each type affects. Crohn’s Disease is often found in the ileum of the small intestine, but can occur anywhere in the digestive tract (from the…
Animals and humans have bacterial populations all over their body. However, the gastrointestinal microbiome is one of the most complex and dense populations studied (Todar, 2012). The mammalian gastrointestinal tract is comprised of about four million bacterial genes with more than 95% located in the large intestine (Galland, 2014). The gastrointestinal microbiota varies along the tract at longitudinal levels and horizontal levels due to particular bacteria attaching to the epithelium in the…
shows a greater portion of the colon than sigmoidoscopy.) A small sample of tissue may also be taken for testing (biopsy). Blood tests: The doctor will look for signs of anemia, or a high white blood cell count, which will mean that there is inflammation or an infection somewhere in the body. Barium X-ray (barium enema or small bowel series): X-rays are taken of either the upper or lower intestine. Barium coats the lining of the small intestine and colon, and shows up as white on an X-ray,…
This can include disorders such as infant colic, infant regurgitation, infant ramification, and functional diarrhea {{130 Hyman, Paul E 2006;}}. Finally childhood functional GI disorders: child/adolescent that uses a criteria for children between the ages of 4 and 18. In this particular subcategory they look at vomiting and aerophagia, abdominal pain-related FGIDs and constipation and incontinence {{128 Rasquin, Andrée 2006;}}. In this particular subgroup the duration of the symptoms must be…
Medical marijuana is a big debate in the United States on whether it should be legalized for medical purposes. There are certain states that have already passed the law and made it possible for people who have a chronic disease to get their medication, if the patient is in a state that does not have medical marijuana then the patient does not have the right to consume the drug and they could actually face legal charges. When consuming medical marijuana it is different than when people consume…
Colitis in Dogs Colitis is an inflammation of the colon or lower bowel and is a complicated condition with many possible causes. The symptoms of colitis can also vary widely depending on the severity of the disease. When mild the symptoms of colitis may just be that the first motion of the day is firm but subsequent motions throughout the day or walk get softer. As the condition progresses you may start to see motions covered with mucus, jelly or slime. In moderate colitis the motions have…