Gallstones are stone-like pieces that develop in the gallbladder or bile ducts. This condition is suffered by thousands of people throughout the year.
The gallbladder is a small organ below the liver that is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. It is a bag that stores bile, a greenish-yellow fluid that helps with digestion. Most gallstones form when there is too much cholesterol in the bile, although it can come from other sources as well. Bile also carries waste such as cholesterol and bilirubin, which the body makes when it breaks down red blood cells. These things can form gallstones.
Gallstones can range from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball. You may not know you have them until they block a bile duct and cause pain that requires immediate treatment.
What are the causes of its appearance?
According to science, 80 percent of gallstones are made of cholesterol. The other 20 percent of gallstones are made of calcium and bilirubin salts. It is not known exactly what is the cause of the formation of gallstones, although there are some theories that we tell you below:
- Too much cholesterol in the bile. Having too much cholesterol in the bile can cause yellow cholesterol stones. These hard stones can develop if the liver produces more cholesterol than the bile can dissolve.
- Too much bilirubin in the bile. Bilirubin is a chemical that is produced when the liver breaks down old red blood cells. Some conditions, such as liver damage and certain blood disorders, cause your liver to make more bilirubin than it should. Pigmented gallstones form when the gallbladder is unable to break down excess bilirubin. These hard stones are usually dark brown or black in color.
- Bile concentrated by a full gallbladder. The gallbladder needs to empty bile to be healthy and to function properly. If you can't empty the bile contents, the bile becomes too concentrated, causing stones to form.
Symptoms of having gallstones
These objects can cause pain in the upper right part of the abdomen. You may also develop gallbladder pain from time to time if you eat foods that are high in fat, such as fried foods. Although the pain does not usually last more than a few hours. You may also experience other symptoms known as biliary colic:
- Nausea
- Throwing up
- Dark urine
- clay-colored stools
- Stomach ache
- Burp
- Diarrhea
- Indigestion
However, gallstones themselves do not cause pain. Rather, the pain occurs when the gallstones block the movement of bile from the gallbladder. So you could say that they are asymptomatic. Experts say that 80 percent of people have "silent gallstones." This means that they do not experience pain or have symptoms.
How are they diagnosed?
To find out if this condition is the one you are suffering from, it is necessary to go to a specialist to perform a physical examination that includes checking your eyes and skin to detect visible changes in color. A yellowish color may be a sign of jaundice, the result of too much bilirubin in the body. The exam may involve the use of diagnostic tests that help the doctor see inside the body. These tests include:
- Ultrasound: an ultrasound produces images of the abdomen. It is the most common imaging method to confirm that you have gallstone disease. It may also show abnormalities associated with acute cholecystitis.
- abdominal CT scan: This imaging test makes images of the liver and abdominal region.
- Radionuclide scan of the gallbladder: This scan takes about an hour to complete. A specialist injects a radioactive substance into your veins. The substance travels through the blood to the liver and gallbladder. On examination, it may reveal evidence suggesting infection or blockage of the bile ducts by stones.
- Blood Tests: A doctor may order a blood test that measures the amount of bilirubin in the blood. The tests also help determine how well the liver is working.
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: is a procedure that uses a camera and x-rays to look at problems in the bile and pancreatic ducts. The doctor will be able to look for gallstones stuck in the bile duct.
How are gallstones treated?
Most of the time, treatment will not be needed unless they cause pain. Sometimes we can suffer from gallstones without realizing it. If you are in pain, a doctor will likely recommend surgery, since medication can rarely be used. If you are at high risk of surgical complications, a drain tube may be placed into your gallbladder through the skin. Later, when the situation is controlled, the operation could be performed.
Natural treatment and home remedies
If you have gallstones and don't have symptoms, you can make certain lifestyle changes. Some nutritional supplements that you can take are vitamin C, iron and lecithin. Science claims that vitamin C and lecithin may lower the risk of gallstones. However, it is necessary to speak with a doctor about the proper dosage of these supplements.
Some people recommend a gallbladder flush, which involves fasting and then taking olive oil and lemon juice to help flush out gallstones. There is no evidence that this works, and it can even cause stones to get stuck in the bile duct.
Surgery
A doctor may need to perform a laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder. This is a common surgery that requires general anesthesia. The surgeon will make 3 or 4 incisions in your abdomen and then insert a small, lighted device into one of the incisions to gently remove your gallbladder. You can usually go home the day of the procedure or the next day if you don't have any complications.
Days later you may experience loose or watery stools when your gallbladder is removed. Removal of a gallbladder involves diverting bile from the liver to the small intestine. The bile no longer passes through the gallbladder and becomes less concentrated. The result is a laxative effect that causes diarrhea.
Non-surgical treatments
Medication is not used as much as it used to be because laparoscopic and robotic techniques make surgery much less risky than it used to be. However, if you can't have surgery, you can take drugs to dissolve gallstones caused by cholesterol. Medicines can take several years to clear gallstones, and stones can form again if you stop treatment.
Shock wave lithotripsy is another option. The lithotripter is a machine that generates shock waves that pass through a person. These shock waves can break the gallstones into smaller pieces.
Diet Tips for Gallstones
To help improve your condition and reduce your risk of gallstones, try these food and diet tips:
- Reduce your fat intake and choose low-fat foods whenever possible. Avoid fried, greasy and high-fat foods.
- Add fiber to your diet to make your stools more solid. Try to add only one serving of fiber at each meal to avoid gas that can occur from eating excess fiber.
- Avoid foods and drinks known to cause diarrhea, including caffeinated drinks, high-fat dairy products, and very sweet foods.
- Eat several small meals a day. Smaller meals are easier for the body to digest.
- Drink a sufficient amount of water, between 6 and 8 glasses a day.
- If you want to lose weight, do it slowly. Try to lose no more than 1 kilo per week. Rapid weight loss can increase your risk of gallstones and other health problems.