Fatigue

What are symptoms of primary sclerosing cholangitis?

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic (lasting years and decades), progressive (worsening over time) disease of the bile ducts.
- This disease channelizes bile from the liver into the intestines.
- Bile is a watery liquid made by the cells of the liver that is important for digesting food in the intestine, particularly fat.
- This liquid also helps to get rid of the body of toxins.
- Liver cells secrete the bile they make into small canals within the liver.
- The bile flows through the canals and into larger collecting canals (ducts).
- The bile then flows within the intrahepatic bile ducts out of the liver and into the extrahepatic bile ducts.
- From the extrahepatic bile ducts, the bile flows into the intestine where the bile mixes with food.

In primary sclerosing cholangitis :
- The intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts become inflamed,
- scarred and thickened (sclerotic),
- narrowed,
- finally obstructed.

Obstruction of the ducts can lead to:
- abdominal pain,
- itching,
- jaundice,
- infection in the bile ducts (cholangitis),
- liver scarring that leads to liver cirrhosis,
- liver failure.

Symptoms of primary sclerosing cholangitis:
- Most patients with early primary sclerosing cholangitis have no symptoms.
- The presence of primary sclerosing cholangitis is recognized only because of abnormally elevated blood levels of liver enzymes (particularly alkaline phosphatase levels).
- This is often recognized along with a routine physical examination.
Early symptoms of primary sclerosing cholangitis include
- Fatigue
- bodily itching (pruritus)

With the progress of the disease:
- Patients may develop jaundice (yellowing of skin and darkening of urine).
- Jaundice is due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the body.
- The bilirubin accumulates because it is not able to be eliminated in the bile.
- This is due to prolonged obstruction of the bile ducts.
- The accumulation of bilirubin turns the skin and whites of the eye (sclera) yellow.
- It may be due to accumulation of bile salts in the body.
- It is as a result of obstruction of the bile ducts.

As primary sclerosing cholangitis progresses, patients typically develop:
- Right upper abdominal pain,
- Fever,
- Fatigue,
- Pruritus
- Jaundice
- These patients also are at risk of developing primary sclerosing cholangitis complications.
- The patients with the autoimmune form of primary sclerosing cholangitis have more rapid symptoms of abdominal pain, jaundice and fever.

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What are various disorders related with small intestine?

Small Intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract connecting the stomach and followed by the large intestine. It is the longest part of digestive system. It has many folds to fit itself in the abdomen. Small intestine is also called small bowel. Most of the digestion takes place in small intestine. It consists of duodenum, the ileum, and the jejunum.

A healthy digestive system is really important. There can be few problems related to small intestine. The disorders with small intestine are mainly due to infection by microbes or structural disorders. Some intestine disorders are:
- blockage
- infection
- tumor
- crohn’s disease
- celiac disease
- short bowel syndrome.

Blockage in small intestine can be due to any kind of pressure that is applied externally, tumor or some foreign bodies. This blockage prevents fluids and waste products from passing through the digestive tract. Feeling of nausea, vomiting, inflammation in abdomen is observed.

Infection in small intestine is because of some bacteria or virus. This is because of eating spoiled food and having spoiled drinks. Feeling of constipation, diarrhea, cramps and loss of appetite is observed.

Celiac disease of small intestine causes inflammation and damage of intestine lining when it is exposed to specific forms of glycoprotein and gluten protein. It is an auto-immune disease.

Short bowel syndrome is the condition in which about two third of the small intestine is not working properly. It is also known as short gut. The nutrients are not absorbed properly as a result a feeling of fatigue, pain in the abdomen, diarrhea and malnutrition can occur.

Small Intestine Cancer is one of most dangerous disorder of small intestine as the symptoms of this cancer are not observed at early stages, they are noticed at later stages. Symptoms of small intestine cancer includes very acute pain in abdomen and intestine, too much weakness and excessive weight loss.

Crohn’s disease is an auto immune disorder. It causes inflammation and swelling of the digestive tract. The symptoms and complications of crohn disease can vary depending on the location of the inflammation. Common symptoms that can be observed are diarrhea, weight loss, weakness, vomiting, skin problems.

Small bowel bacterial overgrowth syndrome (SBBOS), or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is an excessive bacterial growth in small intestine. Various symptoms include nausea, bloating, vomiting and diarrhea, which is caused by a number of mechanisms.