Gallbladder is an organ located in the upper right abdomen. It is a pouch that stores bile. This bile juice helps in better digestion. This organ faces issues when something is blocking the bile duct. The bile duct often gets blocked with gallstones; these stones are made of substances found in bile such as cholesterol. Many people face gallstone issues and usually notice symptoms within 5 years.
What are the common signs and symptoms of gallstones?
The major sign of gallstone is a pain in the upper right abdomen. Some people also get pain in the center of the stomach. People usually experience gallstone pain after eating any high-fat food item like fried food. This pain usually lasts for a few hours but sometimes it may feel very painful. If you don’t treat the gallstone then you may face some symptoms like:
- Rapid heartbeat
- High temperature
- Itchy skin
- Yellowing of the skin
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhea
- Chills
- Confusion
These symptoms of gallstone are similar to other gallbladder issues like infection, and inflammation or the gallbladder, pancreas, or liver. Whenever you face these symptoms, you should visit a doctor as the gallstone often mimics other serious illnesses like appendicitis and pancreatitis. These gallstones don’t cause pain on their own but the pain rappers when the stones block the bile movement in the gallbladder. According to a survey, about 80% of people with gallstones have silent gallstones, which means they do not cause symptoms or pain. These gallstones mainly appear in X-rays or abdominal surgery.
What are the common causes of gallstones?
The most common cause behind the gallstone is the chemical imbalance of bile inside the gallbladder. Researchers don’t know the exact cause behind the chemical imbalance. But some of the possible reasons are:
Too much cholesterol in bile
Too much cholesterol in the body can cause yellow cholesterol stones. These stones usually develop when the liver makes more cholesterol than the bile can dissolve.
Increased bilirubin the bile
Bilirubin is a chemical produced during the breakdown of red blood cells. Once bilirubin is created, it passes through the liver and excretes out of the body. But in certain conditions like liver damage or blood disorder, the liver starts producing extra bilirubin. The gallbladder can’t break down excess bilirubin that causes pigment gallstones. These gallstones are usually dark brown or black.
Overly concentrated bile
Gallbladder should be able to empty the bile for proper functioning. But sometimes, it fails to empty all the bile content and that bile becomes overly concentrated which causes the stones.
Treatment options for gallstones
Usually, gallstone doesn’t require any kind of treatment. People only seek treatment when the gallstones start causing pain. Sometimes these gallstones pass without any notice or pain. But if you are facing pain then your doctor will recommend surgery. In some rare cases, your doctor may recommend medication.
When a person is at high risk of surgery, then the doctor may suggest nonsurgical ways to treat the gallbladder. But without surgery, a gallstone may come back. Due to this, the person needs to check his condition regularly.
Surgery for gallstone
The common surgery for gallstones is cholecystectomy. It is a procedure to remove the gallbladder as it is not an essential organ and the person can live healthily without it.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: In this surgery, general anesthesia is used and then the surgeon makes three or four incisions in the abdomen to remove the gallbladder. After the surgery, you can go home. If there are no complications then you can easily go home.
Open cholecystectomy: This surgery is performed when the gallbladder is inflamed or infected. Doctors suggested this surgery when any problem appeared in laparoscopic surgery.
After removing the gallbladder, the person may experience loose or watery stools.
Nonsurgical treatments
Doctors do not recommend surgery to old people. Instead, they suggest some nonsurgical treatments to treat gallstones.
Oral dissolution therapy: It includes medication like chenodiol to break down the gallstones. These medicines contain bile acids that break down the stones
Shock wave lithotripsy: Lithotripter is a machine that generates shock waves to break gallstones into smaller pieces.
Homeopathy
Homeopathic treatment Pennsylvania for gallstones can be very helpful to manage the condition. This treatment will help to reduce pain and other symptoms of gallstones. It also breaks the stones into smaller pieces. Your homeopath will provide you with a tailored prescription that can help you to manage your gallstone.
Diet and food to reduce the risk of gallstone
There is no foolproof way to prevent gallstones however cholesterol often plays a major role in gallstone formation. To prevent this condition, you should limit food items that contain high saturated fat such as fatty meat, cake, cookies, cream, and certain cheeses. Reduce your carbs intake and increase healthy fats like fish oil. Eat a good amount of fiber and increase physical activity.
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