Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic disease in which your body’s immune system attacks the liver and causes inflammation and liver damage. Without treatment, autoimmune hepatitis may get worse and lead to complications, such as cirrhosis.

Common symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis include feeling tired, pain in your joints, nausea, poor appetite, pain over your liver, and jaundice. Some people have no symptoms at the time of diagnosis, but they may develop symptoms later. Experts aren’t sure what causes autoimmune hepatitis.

Once swallowed, the capsule begins transmitting images of the inside of the esophagus, stomach and small bowel to a receiver worn by the patient. The capsule takes two pictures per second, for a total of approximately 55,000 images. After 8 hours, the patient returns the receiver to the doctor who downloads the information to a computer and then can review in detail the 8 hours of pictures of the capsule passing through the intestine, looking for abnormalities that are possible sources of bleeding.

Celiac disease is an immune disease in which people can't eat gluten because it will damage their small intestine. If you have celiac disease and eat foods with gluten, your immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It may also be in other products like vitamins and supplements, hair and skin products, toothpastes, and lip balm.

Celiac disease affects each person differently. Symptoms may occur in the digestive system, or in other parts of the body. One person might have diarrhea and abdominal pain, while another person may be irritable or depressed. Irritability is one of the most common symptoms in children. Some people have no symptoms.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the lining of the rectum and colon. It is one of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease.

UC can happen at any age, but it usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30. It tends to run in families. The most common symptoms are pain in the abdomen and blood or pus in diarrhea. Other symptoms may include

- Anemia
- Severe tiredness
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Bleeding from the rectum
- Sores on the skin
- Joint pain
- Growth failure in children
- About half of people with UC have mild symptoms.

Doctors use blood tests, stool tests, colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, and imaging tests to diagnose UC. Several types of drugs can help control it. Some people have long periods of remission, when they are free of symptoms. In severe cases, doctors must remove the colon.

Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy are procedures that let your doctor look inside your large intestine. They use instruments called scopes. Scopes have a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube. The procedures let your doctor see things such as inflamed tissue, abnormal growths, and ulcers.

Colonoscopy checks your entire colon and rectum. Sigmoidoscopy checks the rectum and the lower colon only.

Your doctor may recommend one of these procedures

- To look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum. It may be part of a routine screening, which usually starts at age 50.
- To look for causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits
- To evaluate symptoms like abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and weight loss

Your doctor can also remove polyps from your colon during these procedures.

You will get written bowel prep instructions to follow at home before the procedure. The bowel prep cleans out the intestine so your doctor can see everything clearly. During a colonoscopy, you get medicines to keep you relaxed. You usually do not need them for a sigmoidoscopy.

Colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) is effective, cost-effective and consistently recommended by clinical guidelines, yet only 64.5% of Americans aged 50–75 years have been screened. Recommendation from a physician is the most influential factor in determining whether a patient is screened for colorectal cancer.

This study was undertaken to determine whether the Evidence-Based Toolbox and Guide to Increase Primary Care Clinicians' Rates of CRCS, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society, could help diplomates of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) maintaining certification in internal medicine increase their practice rates of CRCS. The main study aim was to compare practice rates of CRCS in the control (PIM only) and study (PIM + toolbox) arms.

What is Crohn's disease?
Crohn's disease is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in your digestive tract. It can affect any part of your digestive tract, which runs from your mouth to your anus. But it usually affects your small intestine and the beginning of your large intestine. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis and microscopic colitis are other common types of IBD.

What causes Crohn's disease?
The cause of Crohn's disease is unknown. Researchers think that an autoimmune reaction may be one cause. An autoimmune reaction happens when your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body. Genetics may also play a role, since Crohn's disease can run in families.

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a test to examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine (the duodenum). EGD is done in a hospital or medical center. The procedure uses an endoscope. This is a flexible tube with a light and camera at the end.

The procedure is done as follows:

- During the procedure, your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen level are checked. Wires are attached to certain areas of your body and then to machines that monitor these vital signs.
- You receive medicine into a vein to help you relax. You should feel no pain and not remember the procedure.
- A local anesthetic may be sprayed into your mouth to prevent you from coughing or gagging when the scope is inserted.
- A mouth guard is used to protect your teeth and the scope. Dentures must be removed before the procedure begins.
- You then lie on your left side.
- The scope is inserted through the esophagus (food pipe) to the stomach and duodenum. The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine.
- Air is put through the scope to make it easier for the doctor to see.
- The lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum is examined. Biopsies can be taken through the scope. Biopsies are tissue samples that are looked at under the microscope.
- Different treatments may be done, such as stretching or widening a narrowed area of the esophagus.

After the test is finished, you will not be able to have food and liquid until your gag reflex returns (so you do not choke).

The test lasts about 5 to 20 minutes.

Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ under your liver. It stores bile, a fluid made by your liver to digest fat. As your stomach and intestines digest food, your gallbladder releases bile through a tube called the common bile duct. The duct connects your gallbladder and liver to your small intestine.

Your gallbladder is most likely to give you trouble if something blocks the flow of bile through the bile ducts. That is usually a gallstone. Gallstones form when substances in bile harden. Rarely, you can also get cancer in your gallbladder.

Many gallbladder problems get better with removal of the gallbladder. Fortunately, you can live without a gallbladder. Bile has other ways of reaching your small intestine.

Gastritis and gastropathy are conditions that affect the stomach lining, also known as the mucosa. In gastritis, the stomach lining is inflamed. In gastropathy, the stomach lining is damaged, but little or no inflammation is present.

GERD is a condition that develops when reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms (eg, heartburn
and regurgitation) or adverse events (eg, erosive esophagitis)

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is swelling that happens when tissues of the body are injured or infected. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The infection is spread by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. It can also be spread through close person-to-person contact such as household contact with an infected person.

Hepatitis B is a disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) which can lead to serious health problems in the liver, including liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death.

Safe, effective hepatitis B vaccines are available. The vaccination series is usually given as two or three doses over a six-month period. Hepatitis B vaccine is an anti-cancer vaccine because it prevents liver cancer caused by chronic HBV infection.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is swelling that happens when tissues of the body are injured or infected. Inflammation can damage organs.

There are different types of hepatitis. One type, hepatitis C, is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

Hepatitis C can be acute or chronic:

Acute hepatitis C is a short-term infection. The symptoms can last up to 6 months. Sometimes your body is able to fight off the infection and the virus goes away. But for most people, an acute infection leads to chronic infection.

Chronic hepatitis C is a long-lasting infection. If it is not treated, it can last for a lifetime and cause serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer, and even death.

The term inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) describes a group of disorders in which the intestines become inflamed. It has often been thought of as an autoimmune disease, but research suggests that the chronic inflammation may not be due to the immune system attacking the body itself. Instead, it is a result of the immune system attacking a harmless virus, bacteria, or food in the gut, causing inflammation that leads to bowel injury.



Two major types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Ulcerative colitis is limited to the colon or large intestine. Crohn's disease, on the other hand, can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Most commonly, though, it affects the last part of the small intestine or the colon or both.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder affecting 7-21% of the general population. Symptoms include frequent abdominal pain, bloating or discomfort, and changes in the appearance or frequency of bowel movements. IBS-C is a type of IBS in which the abdominal discomfort or bloating happens with constipation. Generally, constipation is when stools don’t pass often enough (less than three times per week). Having hard stools that are difficult to pass or the feeling of an incomplete bowel movement are signs of constipation.

Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons. There are many kinds of liver diseases:

- Diseases caused by viruses, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C
- Diseases caused by drugs, poisons, or too much alcohol. Examples include fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
- Liver cancer
- Inherited diseases, such as hemochromatosis and Wilson disease

Symptoms of liver disease can vary, but they often include swelling of the abdomen and legs, bruising easily, changes in the color of your stool and urine, and jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and eyes. Sometimes there are no symptoms. Tests such as imaging tests and liver function tests can check for liver damage and help to diagnose liver diseases.

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins around the anus. They can be internal or external. Each of us has veins around the anus that tend to stretch under pressure. When these veins swell and bulge, they are called hemorrhoids (or piles).

One set of veins is inside the rectum (internal), and another is under the skin around the anus (external).

Hemorrhoidal tissue is thought to be helpful in holding back stool when we are at rest and in cushioning muscles when we move our bowels.

Swelling can be caused by straining to move your bowels, sitting too long on the toilet or other causes, such as pregnancy, obesity or liver disease.

The pancreas is a gland behind your stomach and in front of your spine. It produces juices that help break down food and hormones that help control blood sugar levels. Problems with the pancreas can lead to many health problems. These include:

- Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas: This happens when digestive enzymes start digesting the pancreas itself.
- Pancreatic cancer.
- Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder in which thick, sticky mucus can also block tubes in your pancreas.

The pancreas also plays a role in diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body's immune system has attacked them. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals.

Sigmoidoscopy is a procedure used to see inside the sigmoid colon and rectum. The sigmoid colon is the area of the large intestine nearest to the rectum.

How the Test is Performed.

During the test:
- You lie on your left side with your knees drawn up to your chest.
- The doctor gently places a gloved and lubricated finger into your rectum to check for blockage and gently enlarge (dilate) the anus. This is called a digital rectal exam.
- Next, the sigmoidoscope is placed through the anus. The scope is a flexible tube with a camera at its end. The scope is gently moved into your colon. Air is inserted into the colon to enlarge the area and help the doctor view the area better. The air may cause the urge to have a bowel movement or pass gas. Suction may be used to remove fluid or stool.
- Often, the images are seen in high definition on a video monitor.
- The doctor may take tissue samples with a tiny biopsy tool or a thin metal snare inserted through the scope. Heat (electrocautery) may be used to remove polyps. Photos of the inside of your colon may be taken.

Sigmoidoscopy using a rigid scope may be done to treat problems of the anus or rectum.

A PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) feeding tube insertion is the placement of a feeding tube through the skin and the stomach wall. It goes directly into the stomach. PEG feeding tube insertion is done in part using a procedure called endoscopy.

Feeding tubes are needed when you are unable to eat or drink. This may be due to stroke or other brain injury, problems with the esophagus, surgery of the head and neck, or other conditions.

Your PEG tube is easy to use. You (or your caregiver) can learn to care for it on your own and even give yourself tube feedings.