Gallstones treatment, prevention, symptoms and causes of gallstones

General information

The disease in which stones form in the gallbladder has many names, the most popular of which are gallstone disease and cholelithiasis. As a rule, stones in the gallbladder arise from cholesterol crystals, less often they form from bile salts. The size of stones formed in the gallbladder can vary significantly: some are small, resembling grains of sand, others can be the size of a whole walnut.

The presence of cholecystitis or, in other words, biliary colic is said in the case when a stone or stones formed in the gallbladder create a barrier to bile, preventing it from entering the small intestine, in other words, when stones clog the gallbladder duct. After all, the gallbladder is a sac-like organ located in front of the liver and serves as a kind of reservoir for liquid bile produced in the liver to participate in the digestion of fats.

Causes of cholelithiasis (cholelithiasis)

The causes of gallstones can be:

- violation of the balance of substances involved in the formation of bile;

- high cholesterol in bile;

- an abundance of food with a high proportion of fat in it.

Symptoms of gallstone disease (cholelithiasis)

Signs indicating the possible presence of stones in the gallbladder include:

- weak, aching pain in the right hypochondrium, sometimes radiating above the right clavicle;

- bloating;

- recurrent indigestion;

- biliary colic.

If we talk about biliary colic, it should be noted that they often go away on their own. All other symptoms disappear as soon as the stone passes through the bile duct and enters the small intestine.

In the event that a stone is too large or there are several of them, and they cannot pass through the bile duct, the pain does not stop, and immediate treatment of stones in the gallbladder, and sometimes surgery is required.

If there is a delay in stones in the bile duct, due to which bile is excreted from the liver and gallbladder, then it can cause the development of jaundice and possible damage to the liver.

Complications of gallstones

Often gallbladder stones are not dangerous until such time as they become the cause of blockage of the bile duct, which, as a rule, contributes to the development of inflammatory processes in the gallbladder, liver and pancreas. A rupture of the gallbladder from its overflow with bile can result in peritonitis.

Stones in the gallbladder treatment is necessary! Only timely treatment will prevent gallbladder disease from going into a chronicle, which is terrible in that it entails an increased risk of gallbladder cancer.

Self-treatment of gallstones.

If you have a pain attack, lie down immediately, in no case eat, and take analgesics to relieve the pain. If biliary colic does not recede, and more than 2 hours have passed since their onset, you should immediately seek specialized medical help.

If this is not the first time you experience pain or discomfort just below the right hypochondrium, self-treatment of gallstones can only harm, so you should consult a doctor.

Stones in the gallbladder are treated under medical supervision

Gallbladder stones can be diagnosed using X-ray and ultrasound.

Many gallstones turn out to be "dumb", that is, they do not cause any symptoms of the disease and do not require specific treatment. In the event of a painful attack, cholecystectomy is often recommended, in other words, surgical removal of the gallbladder. In milder cases, it is possible to dispense with the use of drugs that help dissolve gallstones. However, it should be borne in mind that such drugs are taken for several years in order for the stones to dissolve completely and to create conditions that prevent the formation of new stones.

Relatively recently (about 6 years ago), but already managed to establish itself as the most effective drug today, which is really capable of replacing surgery for stones in the gallbladder, it is Bilirum. Its action is aimed at normalizing the chemical composition of bile and painless splitting (dissolution) of stones in the gallbladder and bile ducts. The main thing is not to start the disease so that the operation does not become the only way out for you in this situation.

Prevention of gallstones

To avoid the development of gallstones, you should:

- in the presence of overweight, apply a low-calorie diet, give the body regular physical activity, to gradually reduce body weight;

- avoid high-fat foods;

- when diagnosing gallstones in a woman, avoid treatment with estrogen hormones that contribute to the formation of gallstones;

- reduce the intake of cholesterol in the body.