Gallstone

                                                                                                        

                                                                                                              Gallstones

Gallstones are lumps or stones that develop in the gallbladder or bile duct. Some of the chemicals which exist in the gallbladder, such as cholesterol, calcium bilirubinate, and calcium carbonate, harden into either one large stone or many small ones. According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, a gallstone is "A concretion in the gallbladder or a bile duct, composed chiefly of a mixture of cholesterol, calcium bilirubinate, and calcium carbonate, occasionally as a pure stone composed of just one of these substances". An article describes a gallbladder in the bile duct similar to trying to squeeze a golf ball through a straw.

When the chemicals in the gallbladder, cholesterol, calcium bilirubinate, and calcium carbonate are out of balance gallstones may form. There are two main types of gallstones:

• Cholesterol gallstones - these may form if there is too much cholesterol in the bile? They are the main type of gallstones in the UK and the USA.

• Pigment gallstones - these form when the bile has too much bilirubin. They are more common among patients who have liver disease, infected bile tubes or blood disorders, such as sickle-cell anemia.

What is the gallbladder?

The gallbladder is a small sac located on the right-hand side of the body, on the underside of the liver. Gall (bile) is a greenish-brown liquid which the liver produces. Gall is stored and concentrated in the gallbladder. Gall goes into the small intestine via the bile ducts to facilitate the digestion, mainly of fats. Every time we eat some gall is released into the intestines. The bile duct is a narrow tube.

Symptoms

Over a period of five years, approximately 10% of people with stones will develop symptoms. Symptoms only occur when there is a temporary obstruction of the outflow tract of the gallbladder, by a stone. When such obstruction occurs, you might experience the following:

• Pain, which can wake the sufferer from sleep.
• Pain felt in the middle and upper right abdomen, and may travel to the right shoulder, back or neck.
• Pain subsides gradually, but could last for hours.
• Pain inducing nausea and vomiting.
• Sufferer may develop fatty food intolerance.
• Recurring indigestion.
• Jaundice.

Causes

Gallstones are formed when the different elements which make up your bile become imbalanced. Cholesterol stones form when cholesterol levels in your bile are much greater than your bile acid levels, this causes the cholesterol in your bile to solidify^.

There is evidence that dietary factors, such as diets high in cholesterol, saturated fat, refined sugar and low in fibre, increase the risk of developing cholesterol gallstones.
Gallstones are more common in women than in men, especially during women’s fertile years and during pregnancy. This is because cholesterol is a component of oestrogen, and at these times fluctuating levels of oestrogen need to be broken down to cholesterol and excreted in bile.

Pigment stones may form when the amount of bilirubin in bile is excessive. This can occur in conditions such as sickle cell disease^.

Gallstones can also form when the flow of bile is reduced. This may occur due to:

damage to the liver (cirrhosis) or damage to the biliary tract which affects the secretion and flow of bile^.

  

long periods of fasting during which there is less requirement for bile, leading to bile stasis (decreased flow of bile).

Diet -  Cut out the cholesterol from your diet.  It's the first and most important step to naturally cleansing gallstones out of your gallbladder.  Cholesterol does NOT exist in the vegetable kingdom.  That includes vegetables, fruits, dark leafy greens, legumes, seeds, nuts, etc... These foods are all nutritional powerhouses that don't contain ANY cholesterol.  Eating foods high in nutrients and fiber and low in saturated fat is the best way to protect yourself from all disease, but is especially important for a gallbladder detox. Most people notice a significant reduction in pain within 2-3 days of following this new diet.  And once the pain is gone, it does NOT return.  You will also be very surprised to learn there are thousands of amazing recipes and delicious meals for you to try.   the best part is that most of them are very simple to make.  In addition to other benefits, you can expect to lose a lot of weight, lower your LDL cholesterol levels, boost your immune system, and experience much more energy throughout the day with very restful sleep at night.  

Summary

Gallstones are small stones, made from cholesterol, bile pigment and calcium salts, which form in the gall bladder. Medical treatment may not be necessary unless the gallstones present symptoms. Symptoms may include pain in the abdomen and back, an increase in abdominal pain after eating a fatty meal, jaundice and fever. Gallstones may block ducts and cause complications such as infections or inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Treatment options for gallstones include limiting fatty foods and dairy products and surgery.

Gallstones (biliary calculi) are small stones made from cholesterol, bile pigment and calcium salts, usually as a mixture that forms in the gall bladder.

The gall bladder is a small sac that holds bile, a digestive juice produced by the liver that is used in the breakdown of dietary fats. The gall bladder extracts water from its store of bile until the liquid becomes highly concentrated. The presence of fatty foods triggers the gall bladder to squeeze its bile concentrate into the small intestine.

Gallstones are a common disorder of the digestive system, and affect around 15 per cent of people aged 50 years and over. Some things which may lead to the formation of gallstones include the crystallisation of excess cholesterol in bile and the failure of the gall bladder to fully empty.

In most cases, gallstones don’t cause any problems. However, prompt treatment may be necessary if stones block ducts and cause complications such as infections or inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

Symptoms of gallstones

In approximately 70 per cent of cases, gallstones cause no symptoms. The symptoms of gallstones may include:

• Pain in the abdomen and back. Pain is generally infrequent but severe
• Increase in abdominal pain after eating a fatty meal
• Jaundice
• Fever and pain, if the gall bladder or bile duct becomes infected.

Different types of gallstones

There are three main types of gallstones:

• Mixed stones – the most common type. They are comprised of cholesterol and salts. Mixed stones tend to develop in batches.
• Cholesterol stones – comprised mainly of cholesterol, a fat-like substance that is crucial to many metabolic processes. Cholesterol stones can grow to significant sizes, large enough to block bile ducts.
• Pigment stones – bile is greenish–brown in colour, due to particular pigments. Gallstones made from bile pigment are typically small, but numerous.

 

 Causes and risk factors

Gallstones are more common in women than men. They are also more common in overweight people, and people with a family history of gallstones.

There is no single cause of gallstones. In some people, the liver produces too much cholesterol. This can result in the formation of cholesterol crystals in bile that grow into stones. In other people, gallstones form because of changes in other components of bile or because the gallbladder fails to empty normally.

Complications of gallstones

If gallstones present no symptoms, there is rarely any need for treatment.

Complications that may require prompt medical treatment include:

• Biliary colic – a gallstone can migrate from the body of the gall bladder into its neck (cystic duct), leading to obstruction. Symptoms include severe pain and fever.
• Inflammation of the gall bladder (cholecystitis) – the gall bladder duct becomes blocked by a gallstone, leading to infection and inflammation of the gall bladder. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
• Jaundice – if a bile duct leading to the bowel is blocked by a stone, trapped bile enters the bloodstream instead of the digestive system. The bile pigments cause a yellowing of the skin and eyes. The urine may also turn orange or brown.
• Pancreatitis – inflammation of the pancreas, caused by a blocked bile duct low down near the pancreas. Pancreatic enzymes irritate and burn the pancreas and leech out into the abdominal cavity.
• Cholangitis – inflammation of the bile ducts, which occurs when a bile duct becomes blocked by a stone and the bile gets secondarily infected. This causes pain, fever, jaundice and rigors (shaking).

Diagnosis of gallstones

Gallstones are diagnosed using a number of tests, including:

• General tests – such as physical examination and x-rays
• Ultrasound – sound waves form a picture that detects the presence of gallstones
• Endoscope test – called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). A thin tube is passed through the oesophagus and injects dye into the bowel to improve the quality of x-ray pictures
• HIDA scan – a special type of nuclear scan that assesses how well the gall bladder functions
• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) - a form of the body imaging technique magnetic resonance imaging or MRI. A patient's liver, biliary and pancreatic system is imaged using a MRI unit. An image similar to an ERCP test can be obtained.

Treatment

Gallstones that present no symptoms generally don’t require any medical intervention. In certain cases (such as abdominal surgery for other conditions), removal of the gallbladder may be considered for people at high risk of complications of gallstones. Treatment depends on the size and location of the gallstones, but may include:

• Dietary modifications – such as limiting or eliminating fatty foods and dairy products
• Surgery – to remove the entire gall bladder, or stones from bile ducts. Around eight in 10 gallstone cases showing symptoms will require surgery. Procedures include ‘keyhole’ (laparoscopic) surgery and abdominal surgery (laparotomy), where the gall bladder is removed through an incision in the abdomen
• Lithotripsy – a special machine generates soundwaves to shatter stones. This treatment is used in certain centres only, for the minority of people with small and soft stones.
• Medications – some drugs can dissolve gallstones, but this treatment is only rarely given, due to side effects and a variable success rate.