Medical Health Advice - Pancreatic Cancer, Hepatitis, Cirrhosis of Liver, Jaundice, Gallstones

Medical Health Advice

In today’s fast moving world, in the race to reach the heights, no one has the time to care for health. People have many questions in their minds regarding their health but no time to go to the doctors and clarify them. With a team of medical professionals, Dr Manoj.K.Ghoda, senior Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist provides you the best medical treatment advice related to liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and digestive system problems. We offer treatment advice for the health problems like pancreatic cancer, chronic pancreatitis, acute pancreatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson’s disease, hepatitis/C, cirrhosis of the liver, cyst in the liver, jaundice, gall stones, painless jaundice and weight loss, constipation, tuberculosis of the intestine, diarrhea, motions, nausea, loss of appetite, heart burn etc.

Pancreatic cancer: Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. Common symptoms include Pain in the upper abdomen, significant weight loss, Painless jaundice, steatorrhea, elevated blood sugar levels. Treatment of pancreatic cancer depends on the stage of the cancer. The Whipple procedure is the most common surgical treatment for cancers involving the head of the pancreas. It can only be performed if the patient is likely to survive major surgery and if the cancer is localized without invading local structures. Other treatment available is chemotherapy.

Chronic pancreatitis: Chronic pancreatitis is a long-standing inflammation of the pancreas that alters its normal structure and functions. Patients with chronic pancreatitis usually present with persistent abdominal pain or steatorrhea, severe nausea, diabetes, look very sick, considerable weight loss, pain related to their food intake. Cystic fibrosis is the most common cause of chronic pancreatitis in child. Severe protein-energy malnutrition is a common cause where as heredity is a rare cause for this. The different treatment modalities for management of chronic pancreatitis are medical measures, therapeutic endoscopy and surgery. The other treatment can probably be antioxidants supplementation. Traditional Surgery for Chronic Pancreatitis can also be one of the alternatives.

Wilson’s disease: Wilson's disease is an inherited disorder in which there is too much copper in the body's tissues. The excess copper damages the liver and nervous system. Wilson's disease is a rare inherited disorder. It causes the body to take in and keep too much copper. The deposits of copper cause tissue damage, death of the tissues, and scarring, which causes the affected organs to stop working correctly. Wilson’s disease typically appears in people under 40 years old. In children, the symptoms begin to show by age 4. The goal of treatment is to reduce the amount of copper in the tissues. This is done by a procedure called chelation which can bind to copper and help remove it through the kidneys or gut. The following medications may be used Penicillamine, Trientine, Zinc acetate. Vitamin E supplements may also be used. Foods to avoid include: chocolate, dried fruit, mushrooms, nuts, shellfish. A liver transplant may be considered in cases where the liver is severely damaged by the disease.

Hepatitis/C: Hepatitis C is an infectious disease affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV).The hepatitis C virus is spread by blood-to-blood contact. Symptoms of hepatitis C include decreased appetite, fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, itching, and flu-like symptoms. Generalized signs, fatigue, flu-like symptoms, joint pains, itching, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, nausea, and depression. The main causes for Hepatitis C are injection drug use, blood transfusion, latrogenic medical or dental exposure, sexual exposure, body piercings and tattoos, shared personal care items. Current treatment is a combination of the antiviral drugs Pegylated interferon-alpha-2a or Pegylated interferon-alpha-2b and the antiviral drug ribavirin for a period of 24 or 48 weeks, depending on hepatitis C virus genotype.

Cirrhosis of the liver: Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules (lumps that occur as a result of a process in which damaged tissue is regenerated), leading to loss of liver function. Cirrhosis is most commonly caused by alcoholism, hepatitis B and C, and fatty liver disease. General symptoms include liver size can be enlarged, normal, or shrunken increase in size of the spleen, yellow discoloring of the skin, eye, and mucus membranes, urine may also appear dark, weakness, fatigue, anorexia, weight loss. Cirrhosis caused by alcohol abuse is treated by abstaining from alcohol. Treatment for hepatitis-related cirrhosis involves medications used to treat the different types of hepatitis, such as interferon for viral hepatitis and corticosteroids for autoimmune hepatitis. Cirrhosis caused by Wilson's disease, in which copper builds up in organs, is treated with chelation therapy (e.g., penicillamine) to remove the copper.

Gall stones: Gallstones are crystalline bodies formed within the body by accretion or concretion of normal or abnormal bile components. Gallstones can occur anywhere within the biliary tree, including the gallbladder and the common bile duct. Cholelithiasis is the presence of stones in the gallbladder or bile ducts. A patient may experience intense pain in the upper abdominal region, pain in the back, ordinarily between the shoulder blades, or pain under the right shoulder. In some cases, the pain develops in the lower region of the abdomen, nearer to the pelvis, but this is less common. Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) has a 99% chance of eliminating the recurrence of cholelithiasis.It can be can be temporarily reduced by drinking several glasses of water when experiencing gallstone pain.

Tuberculosis of the intestine: Symptoms of this disease include fever, nausea, flatulence ("gas"), food intolerance, abdominal cramps in lower right abdomen, abdomen distends after eating, weight loss. Anti-Tuberculosis medications are available in four drug combinations that include Isoniazid, Rifampin, Ethambutol, and Pyrazinamide for 6 to 9 months.

Nausea: Nausea is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an urge to vomit. The most common cause is gastroenteritis (a stomach infection) or food poisoning but nausea also frequently occurs as a medication side effect and in pregnancy. Acupuncture is thought to be effective for the prevention of post operative nausea and vomiting.[11] The spices ginger and peppermint have been used for centuries as traditional remedies for nausea especially during pregnancy.

Diarrhea: Diarrhea is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. The most common causes of diarrhea are cholera toxin that stimulates the secretion of anions, especially chloride ions, too much magnesium or vitamin C or undigested lactose can produce diarrhea and distention of the bowel, complication of menstruation, bacterial infections, viral infections, parasitic infections, or autoimmune problems such as inflammatory bowel diseases. Anti motility agents like loperamide are effective at reducing the duration of diarrhea, bismuth compounds (Pepto-Bismol) decrease the number of bowel movements These agents should only be used if bloody diarrhea is not present. Codeine Phosphate is used which helps in giving more time for water to reabsorb back into the body, which gives a firmer stool, and also means that feces is passed less frequently.

Autoimmune hepatitis: Autoimmune hepatitis is a progressive inflammation of the liver that has been identified by a number of different names, including autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (CAH), idiopathic chronic active hepatitis, and lupoid hepatitis. The reason for this inflammation is not certain, but it is associated with an abnormality of the body's immune system and is often related to the production of antibodies that can be detected by blood tests. The most common symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis are fatigue, abdominal discomfort, aching joints, itching, jaundice, enlarged liver, and tumors on the skin. A medical therapy has been shown to decrease symptoms which usually begin with prednisone 30 to 40 mg per day and then this dosage is reduced after a response is achieved.

Heart burn: Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest, just behind the breastbone. The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most common cause of heartburn. The treatment of heartburn depends on the underlying cause. Antacids such as H2 receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors are effective for gastritis and GERD, the two most common causes of heartburn.

So we are providing you one of the most convenient ways to get answers to health problems and find a solution to cure them. If you have a health problem that requires proper advice, ask us and let the doctors do their job.

1. Prev:Obesity Rates Rising, Best Tips to Lose Weight Now!
2. Next:10 Fun and Easy Ways To Burn 200 Calories In Minutes