Dr Wai Leong Quan

The objectives of treating chronic hepatitis infection is to control the level of inflammation in the liver and to prevent complications such as liver hardening and liver cancer from developing. I would like to stress that not all hepatitis B patients require treatment. However, those who need oral anti-viral treatment usually have to take the treatment for a long period of time. At the moment, the only other option with a definitive treatment period is through an injectable form of medicine known as interferon.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common condition experienced by many young adults and teenagers with typical abdominal pain or cramps associated with a change in the stool frequency or stool consistency. These symptoms are frequently precipitated by exams, deadlines and other forms of stress. Interestingly, throbbing / pounding sensation in the abdomen happening at night is not a usual complain I have come across based on my experience in managing IBS patients.

The attached test results and DNA level are consistent with a patient in an immune tolerant phase of chronic hepatitis B infection. This phase indicates an active viral replication without an immune reaction against the virus. A person in such a phase with high viral counts is highly infectious although relatively well most times. Treatment decisions usually rely on factors such as the person's age, evidence of liver scarring (fibrosis) or hardening (cirrhosis), liver enzyme fluctuations, HBe antigen status as well as family history of liver cancer.

Anal fissures are anal mucosal tears which do not heal well due to relatively higher anal pressure of the surrounding muscles otherwise known as anal sphincter. These fissures mostly come about because of local trauma. Occasionally, they are one of the manifestations of an underlying chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines known as Crohn's disease. It can be frustrating that an anal fissure heals initially only to recur later when the underlying problem is not addressed. Common problems which lead to anal fissures are constipation and hard stools.

Pain over the location just above the belly button usually indicates issues with the stomach. This is especially so if the pain or discomfort is associated with your meals or occur more frequently at night. In some cases, there is a sensation of "burning" discomfort that travels up the chest wall or throat discomfort especially in the morning with a bitter or sour taste in your mouth. Having said that, there are conditions that affect other organs near the stomach which may give rise to similar discomfort.

What is Perianal Abscess? Perianal abscess is an infective condition around the anus. This condition usually starts as a small pimple-like papule which gradually enlarged into a firm nodule or swelling. You may experience some pain or discomfort as the pressure builds up and some people may even develop a fever. Why Does Perianal Abscess Occur? The reason for such a condition is multifactorial ranging from a blocked gland on the skin to an inflammatory bowel condition known as Chron's disease. T he presence of diabetes or an immune-compromised state can aggravate this problem.

The symptoms you experienced may be related to the gastric acid present within your stomach at mealtimes. Under normal circumstances, the presence of food in the stomach induces gastric acid production. This helps to break down and digest the food we consumed. It is interesting to know that the smell and taste of food or even the mere thought of food can induce gastric acid production. Why Does My Stomach Hurt When I Eat a Late Meal? Gastric acid is produced rhythmically around meal times and at night. It can also be affected by your emotions and sleep patterns.

I am afraid the symptoms you experienced are not typical of an ordinary gastric pain. In general, gastric pain, which is mostly acid related, does not come with any fever. When one experience an upper abdominal pain with fever, there is a possibility of problem originating from the gallbladder, liver or the pancreas. This explains why the medicine which you took wasn't working as expected. My advice is that you get yourself properly assess soonest possible by a doctor to see if there is a need for further investigations such as blood tests or scans.

It can be confusing and difficult to tell the difference sometimes since both belly fat and bloating can result in increasing abdominal girth and they can happen concurrently and contribute to your observation. How to Tell The Difference Between Bloating and Belly Fat? Pinch Test In general, bloating is either a sensation of fullness or actual gaseous accumulation in the digestive tract.

I assume that the white mucus and bubbles you referred to was found in the sputum after you experienced a bout of acid reflux. Whenever you experience such an episode, acidic contents from the stomach have reached your oesophagus and sometimes your mouth. As the linings in the esophagus and oral cavity are not meant to withstand acid, our body reacts by producing more secretions to protect its lining. In some cases, the acid content can cause chest pain known as heartburn or trigger a cough reflex. At other times, it can also induce mild asthmatic attacks.

There are many causes for stomachache and most of them are transient and they go away with time or after a simple remedy. As far as I know, there is no direct relationship between a stomachache and those symptoms you listed above. However, if the numbness and cold feeling you experienced when standing up also makes you feel lightheaded or dizzy, you might have experienced a transient drop in blood pressure. Transient Drop in Blood Pressure Many people have experienced such transient blood pressure drop at one point or another. Most people would classify that as "fainting spells".

The way to use Fortrans in preparing your bowel before colonoscopy varies among specialists. This is because your doctor may want to calibrate the level of bowel preparation based on his or her understanding of your digestive function. It is common for some endoscopists to combine Fortrans with another laxative to enhanced the bowel cleansing while others prefer a split-dose method with Fortrans alone. You should follow the instructions provided by your doctor closely for the best possible effects planned for you.

Symptoms of SIBO The symptoms of SIBO are generally vague and may overlap with that of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). These include: bloating flatulence abdominal pain poor appetite nausea diarrhoea In severe cases, SIBO may cause weight loss and the disturbances may affect your mood, your sleeping pattern and work. Diagnosing SIBO Although clinical breath tests are available to help confirming the diagnosis of SIBO, there are significant confounding factors which may affect the test results.

What is Celiac Disease? Celiac disease is characterized by the immune system associated degeneration of the small bowel's inner lining due to sensitivity to gluten-containing food. Symptoms of Celiac Disease? Early symptoms of Celiac Disease include: loose stools possibly weight loss. However, the spectrum of presentation may vary from person to person. Some people may present symptoms such as: Mild symptoms similar to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) Bloating Cramps Lethargy.

What Are The Treatment Options for Bowel Obstruction? Treatment of bowel obstruction depends on: Acuteness grade location The underlying cause of the bowel obstruction Treatment can range from emergency surgery to a simple bowel emptying treatment. Treatment of The Different Types of Bowel Obstruction Bowel obstruction occurs when the content within the bowel fails to progress due to various reasons. These can be classified broadly into: Structural in nature Functional (aka pseudo-obstruction) in nature.