Symptoms Causes And Treatment For Gallstones
Function Of The Gallbladder
Bile a bitter greenish yellow fluid made in the liver and sent to the gallbladder where it is stored. Upon eating it is sent to the intestines to aid in breaking down fats during the process of digestion
Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease
Gallstones affect women and those over 40 more than any other group; it is a common problem worldwide. In many instances there are no symptoms. Gallstones are hard deposits that form in the gallbladder. They can be as small as a grain of sand up to the size of a golf ball. They can block the bile duct causing pain, fever or infection (Cholecystitis).
Symptoms can include:
- Gas
- Bad breath in combination with other symptoms
- Frequent burping after meals
- Bloating
- Gas
- Indigestion
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Back pain
- Heartburn symptoms
- Vomiting
- Pain after eating
- Fever and chills
- Jaundice (a yellow or orange discoloration of the skin/eyes) sometimes called Icterus
- Pale colored stools
- Yellow skin
- Yellow eyes
- Sweating
- Pain 3-5 inches below the lower right rib
- Pain or discomfort in the abdominal area after meals
- Diarrhea
- Dark urine
- Rapid heartbeat
- Drop in blood pressure
Causes Of Gallstones
They’re two primary types of gallstones cholesterol and pigment. Cholesterol stones are formed if there is an imbalance (excess) of either cholesterol or bilirubin and not enough bile salts.
Pigment stones are more common among those with:
- Cirrhosis
- Hemolytic Anemia(abnormal breakdown of the red blood cells)
- Hereditary blood disorders like sickle cell anemia
- Biliary tract infections
Stone coloration range from black to brown which form when too much billirubin is in the bile.
Other Factors To Consider
- Age
- Race
- Sex
- Diet
- Genetic or hereditary disorders
- Weight
Another point of interest would be how often and completely the gallbladder empties itself so the levels of bile do not become over concentrated and create stones.
Medical Options
In terms of treatment, one option is to dissolve the stones with drugs like Ursodeoxycholic acid, Chenix or Actigall. Drug therapy can take a few months or up to 2 years. Once the treatment is stopped the gallstones may return.
A second option is surgery (Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy) to remove the gallbladder.
Alternative Treatments
These may include a gallbladder or liver flush.
Testing And Diagnosis
If you think but are unsure if you have gallstones see your doctor. He or she will be able to perform testing which may include an abdominal ultrasound scan to get more information about the condition of the liver, pancreas and gallbladder.
Another alternative is the cholecystogram where iodine dyes are injected into a vein or pills are given and x-rays are taken to shed light on the behavior of the gallbladder.
 |
Tags: actigall, billirubin, causes of gallstones, chenix, cholecystogram, cholesterol, cholesterol stones, dissolve gallstones, gallbladder, gallbladder disease, gallstones, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, pigment stones, remove gallbladder, size of a gallstone, symptoms, treatment for gallstones, ursodeoxycholic acid
