Problems and Remedies

Diagnosing Obstetric Cholestasis Pregnancy-specific reference ranges for liver function tests (LFTs) should be used. Other causes of itching and of liver dysfunction should be excluded. C - Postnatal resolution of pruritus and LFTs should be confirmed Treatment of Obstetric Cholestasis  There is no evidence that any specific treatment improves maternal symptoms or neonatal outcomes. All such therapies should be discussed with the individual woman with this in mind. Topical Emollients C - Topical emollients are safe but their efficacy is unknown. S-Adenosyl Methionine A - There is insufficient evidence to show whether S adenosyl methionine is effective for either control of maternal symptoms or for improving fetal outcome. Ursodeoxycholic acid A - There are insufficient data to support the widespread use of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) outside of clinical trials. Women should be aware of the lack of robust data concerning improvement in pruritus, protection again...

An abdominal mass is usually detected on routine physical examination. Most of the time they develop slowly. You may not be able to feel the mass. Where the pain occurs helps the doctor make a diagnosis. For example, the abdomen is usually divided into four areas: Right-upper quadrant Left-upper quadrant Right-lower quadrant Left-lower quadrant Other terms used to specify the location of abdominal pain or masses include: Epigastric -- center of the abdomen just below the ribcage Periumbilical -- the area around the bellybutton The location of the mass, and its firmness, texture, and other qualities can provide clues as to the cause of an abdominal mass. Home Care All abdominal masses should be examined as soon as possible by the health care provider. Changing your body position may help relieve pain due to an abdominal mass. When to Contact a Medical Professional Seek immediate medical help if you have a pulsating lump in your abdomen along with severe abdominal pain. This...

During acute pancreatitis, the blood contains at least three times the normal amount of amylase and lipase, digestive enzymes formed in the pancreas. Changes may also occur in other body chemicals such as glucose, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate. After the person’s condition improves, the levels usually return to normal. Diagnosing acute pancreatitis is often difficult because of the deep location of the pancreas. The doctor will likely order one or more of the following tests: Abdominal ultrasound. Sound waves are sent toward the pancreas through a handheld device that a technician glides over the abdomen. The sound waves bounce off the pancreas, gallbladder, liver, and other organs, and their echoes make electrical impulses that create a picture called a sonogram on a video monitor. If gallstones are causing inflammation, the sound waves will also bounce off them, showing their location. Computerized tomography (CT) scan. The CT scan is a noninvasive x ray ...

Doctors diagnose cholecystitis based mainly on symptoms and results of imaging tests. Ultrasonography is the best way to detect gallstones in the gallbladder. Ultrasonography can also detect fluid around the gallbladder or thickening of its wall, which are typical of acute cholecystitis. Often, when the ultrasound probe is moved across the upper abdomen above the gallbladder, people report tenderness. Cholescintigraphy, another imaging test, is useful when acute cholecystitis is difficult to diagnose. For this test, a radioactive substance (radionuclide) is injected intravenously. A gamma camera detects the radioactivity given off, and a computer is used to produce an image. Thus, movement of the radionuclide from the liver through the biliary tract can be followed. Images of the liver, bile ducts, gallbladder, and upper part of the small intestine are taken. If the radionuclide does not fill the gallbladder, the cystic duct is probably blocked by a gallstone. Liver blood tests are...

A blockage of the bile ducts can usually be treated with surgery or endoscopy (using a flexible viewing tube with surgical instruments attached). A blockage within the liver may be treated in various ways depending on the cause. If a drug is the suspected cause, the doctor stops its use. If acute hepatitis is the cause, cholestasis and jaundice usually disappear when hepatitis has run its course. A person with cholestasis is advised to avoid or stop using any substance that is toxic to the liver, such as alcohol and certain drugs. Diagnosis of Cholestasis Typically, the blood levels of two enzymes, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, are very high in people with cholestasis. A blood test that measures the level of bilirubin indicates the severity of the cholestasis but not its cause. An imaging study, usually ultrasonography, is almost always done if blood test results are abnormal. Computed tomography (CT) or sometimes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be d...

Green bowel movements, if alone without any of the following reasons, are normal, and don't require any action. If other symptoms like fever, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, or general malaise are found, you should contact a doctor immediately, because there might be a serious underlying disorder. P.S. Please keep in mind that all medical information on the internet is just for the sake of information and not designed to replace your doctor.

Diarrhea and loose bowel movements: There might be many reasons of loose bowel movements, including food poisoning (giardia and salmonella infection often resulting in green diarrhea), rotavirus infection, food allergies, lactose intolerance, fructose malabsorption, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, etc., GERD, Thyrotoxicosis (elevated levels of hormone thyroxine in the blood), usually due to autoimmune thyroid disorder (Grave's disease) Impaired gut innervation(often in diabetes). Bile salts are absorbed into blood mainly IN last part of small intestine (terminal ileum). Causes of impaired bile re-absorption are: Inflammation of small intestine, mainly due to Crohn's disease Surgical removal of terminal ileum