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Gallstones |
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Gallstones
Like many people, you may have gallstones and not know it. In fact, gallstones solid deposits of cholesterol or calcium salts that form in your gallbladder or nearby bile ducts often cause no symptoms and require no treatment. But up to about one-fifth of people with gallstones will have a gallbladder attack that can cause symptoms such as nausea and an intense, steady ache in their upper-middle or upper-right abdomen. In some cases the pain can be severe. You're at greater risk of developing gallstones if you're older, female or overweight. A diet high in fat and sugar along with a sedentary lifestyle also increases your risk. So does rapid weight loss or eating a very low-calorie diet. Complications from gallstones can be serious, and even fatal, if left untreated. Fortunately, treatment is usually straightforward, and newer techniques often allow faster recovery time. Signs and symptoms You may not know you have gallstones until they're discovered during tests including ultrasounds or computerized tomography (CT) scans done for other reasons. But sometimes they may cause certain signs and symptoms. These include:
Sometimes small gallstones escape the gallbladder and enter the duct leading from your liver and gallbladder to your small intestine (common bile duct). They may also occasionally enter the duct leading to your pancreas. In some cases, a stone may block one of these ducts a condition that can be fatal if you don't receive treatment. You'll likely have pain and sometimes fever due to inflammation at or near the site of the blockage. Other signs and symptoms of bile duct obstruction include:
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical treatment right away. Keep in mind that sometimes you may have jaundice and changes in the color of your urine or stools without also having much pain or indigestion. It may take a few days before you notice the discoloration. Causes Your liver produces bile a greenish-brown fluid made of bile salts, fatty compounds, cholesterol and other chemicals. This fluid is concentrated and stored in your gallbladder until it's needed to help digest fats in your small intestine. When you eat, your gallbladder contracts and releases bile into the common bile duct a continuation of the hepatic and cystic ducts. The common bile duct then carries bile to the upper part of your small intestine (duodenum), where it begins to help break down the fat in your food. But if bile within your gallbladder becomes chemically unbalanced, it can form into hardened particles that eventually grow into stones. This may take several years. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball and may be smooth and round or irregular with a number of edges. You can have just one stone or hundreds of them. No matter what their size, shape or number, gallstones fall into one of three categories:
Many factors, some of which aren't well-understood, contribute to the formation of gallstones. They include:
Related Site: Treatments Treatments Programs:
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