Your Health

Primary Biliary Cholangitis – Symptoms and Causes

Primary Biliary Cholangitis Diagnosis

Primary biliary cholangitis may not cause any symptoms in early stages. Therefore, it would be diagnosed during a routine blood test for another reason. To diagnose this condition, your healthcare provider may implement a physical exam and ask certain questions about your family history, healthy history, and reported symptoms. Some tests can help diagnose the disease, including liver biopsy, antimitochondrial antibody test, and blood tests. Certain imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRI scan, CT scan, and ultrasound can also help with diagnosis. [7]

Treatment for Symptoms of Primary Biliary Cholangitis 

Some treatment options can help manage the symptoms of primary biliary cholangitis to make you feel more comfortable. These include:

– Itching treatments: cholestyramine, antihistamines, sertraline, rifampin, or opioid antagonists.

– Fatigue treatments: proper exercise and diet changes.

– Dry mouth and eyes treatments: saliva substitutes, artificial tears, hard candy, or chewing gums. [8]