Liver Disease Cirrhosis
2020: A New Decade for Hepatitis C Drugs and Eradication
2019 was a big year in the fight against the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It introduced several new therapies as well as discontinued a handful of others. There was also no shortage of research and review pouring into the HCV space with newly improved therapies and practices being constantly explored. Out with the old and…
Read MoreItchy Skin at Night? Here’s why….
Itchy Skin at Night? Here’s Why It Happens and How to Deal The experts reveal all BY AMY LAWRENSON 01/08/2019 Much like your train being cancelled or spilling coffee down your white top, itchy skin at night is one of those irritations that seems to come out of nowhere. So: why do the dark hours…
Read MoreWhy Are Autoimmune Diseases on the Rise?
Changing environments, extraordinary stress, and the autoimmunity epidemic Apr 10 Stacy Verdick Case was ill with a host of disparate symptoms. She suffered from joint pain, heart palpitations, and severe fatigue. Doctors tried to address her symptoms, prescribing her the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, attending to her acid reflux, or telling her to exercise. But no…
Read MoreNew hope for patients with decompensated cirrhosis
Albumin in high doses… Note: Albumin is used regularly around the world as a standard treatment for Ascites. In the US, albumin is only given for high volume paracentecis. This replaces what was lost, it doesn’t protect for the future…. Craig Decompensated cirrhosis is a chronic disease linked to numerous complications in its final…
Read MoreWhat is Hepatitis?
What is Hepatitis? Hepatitis refers to an inflammation of the liver cells and damage to the liver. There are different types and causes, but the symptoms can be similar. The liver’s functions include detoxifying the blood, storing vitamins, and producing hormones. Hepatitis can disrupt these processes and create severe health problems throughout the body. At…
Read MoreWhat Is Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis?
What Is Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis? The liver is a large organ with an important job in your body. It filters the blood of toxins, breaks down proteins, and creates bile to help the body absorb fats. When a person drinks alcohol heavily over the course of decades, the body starts to replace the liver’s healthy…
Read MoreWhat are Esophageal Varices?
Esophageal varices Esophageal varices are abnormal, enlarged veins in the tube that connects the throat and stomach (esophagus). This condition occurs most often in people with serious liver diseases. Esophageal varices develop when normal blood flow to the liver is blocked by a clot or scar tissue in the liver. To go around the blockages,…
Read More‘Deranged liver blood tests’ – diagnosing PBC
‘Deranged liver blood tests’ – diagnosing primary biliary cholangitis 22 October 2018 In the first of a new gastroenterology clinic series, Dr Amine Benmassaoud and Dr Emmanuel Tsochatzis discuss a case of unusual liver bloods Case A 54 year old lady with hypothyroidism on levothyroxine, osteopenia on calcium and vitamin D, and dry eyes on…
Read MoreWhat Is Ascites?
What is ascites? Ascites is the accumulation of fluid (usually serous fluid which is a pale yellow and clear fluid) that accumulates in the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity. The abdominal cavity is located below the chest cavity, separated from it by the diaphragm. Ascitic fluid can have many sources such as liver disease, cancers, congestive heart…
Read MoreWhat Is Ascites and Edema?
Ascites and Edema In patients with chronic diseases of the liver, fibrosis (scarring) of the liver often occurs. When the scarring becomes advanced, the condition is called cirrhosis of the liver. Ascites is excessive fluid that accumulates in the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity. It is a complication of cirrhosis and appears as an abdominal bulge. The…
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