Bile Duct Obstruction:

Bile Duct Obstruction:

Bile duct obstruction is a medical condition that is characterized by the blockage of the common bile duct (See: Bile Duct). This condition causes insufficient release of bile into the small intestine. Bile duct obstruction can be a life-threatening condition if left untreated as it leads to high levels of bilirubin (See: Bilirubin), chronic liver disease, biliary cirrhosis (See: Biliary Cirrhosis), and many other complications. People with obesity, a history of gallbladder stones, conditions like chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and conditions like sickle cell anemia are prone to get bile duct obstruction. Other risk factors include smoking, infections of bile duct, inflammation or narrowing of the bile duct, liver trauma, high cholesterol, rapid weight loss, and diabetes. Bile duct obstruction presents itself with symptoms like dark urine, pain in right abdomen, pale-colored stools, itching, weight loss, vomiting, and fever. It is diagnosed by blood tests like CBC (See: Complete Blood Count) and liver function test. Other tests include abdomen ultrasound, HIDA scan, x-ray, MRI, and endoscopy. Treatment for this condition includes bypass surgeries, removal of stones, and in case of bile duct cancer, the duct is dilated. For people with diabetes, it is important to maintain healthy blood glucose levels consistently in order to avoid bile duct obstruction.