The gallbladder is a small organ that sits below the liver in the upper right part of the stomach. Its vital role is to store the bile juice, which helps the body digest food. Gallbladder stones are a medical disease in which hardened deposits of bilirubin and cholesterol form and can get stuck in the gallbladder and bile ducts.
These stones can be as big as a golf ball or as small as a grain of rice. Many stones can grow at the same time. These stones can get stuck on their way out of the liver.
This is when a person might feel their first pain or soreness in their stomach. Interestingly, big liver stones tend to stay in the gallbladder and don’t hurt. Depending on their size and how much pain they cause, these stones can be taken out by surgery or by treating the symptoms.
What are the different types of gallbladder stones?
Gallbladder stones come in two main types, based on what they are made of.
Cholesterol gallstones:
These types are the most common. They are the cause of almost 80% of gallstones. These stones are usually a greenish-yellow colour, and they are made up of cholesterol, lipid protein, and other things.
Pigmented gallstones:
Most of the time, these are brown and black. Because there is too much bilirubin in the blood, these stones form. Bilirubin is made when red blood cells are broken and destroyed. This yellow material goes through the liver and out of the body through the gallbladder.
What are the major causes of gallbladder stones?
There are no direct causes of gallstones in adults, here are the few causes of gallstones,
Excess cholesterol:
Bile helps the body digest food. It also breaks down the cholesterol that the liver gets rid of. If the liver gets rid of more cholesterol than it needs to, the extra cholesterol may harden and form gallbladder stones.
Bile helps the body digest food. It also breaks down the cholesterol that the liver gets rid of. If the liver gets rid of more cholesterol than it needs to, the extra cholesterol may harden and form gallbladder stones.
Excess bilirubin:
Your liver can make too much bilirubin if you have liver cirrhosis, an infection in the biliary system, or certain blood disorders. This extra bilirubin can cause stones to form in the liver.
Inefficient emptying of the gallbladder:
If it doesn’t empty itself, it could fill up with bile, which could lead to liver stones.
What are the significant symptoms of gallbladder stones?
Most of the time, there are no signs and symptoms of gallstones. Most of the time, gallstones don’t cause any signs. But if these stones get stuck in the bile duct, it could cause:
- Vomiting or nausea
- Pain that lingers in the right shoulder
- Pain in the upper right part of your belly that comes on quickly and gets worse quickly.
Pain that comes on quickly and is in the middle of your stomach, just below your breastbone.
If you notice any of these signs, reach out to a gastro hospital in Coimbatore, to get the best gallbladder stone treatment.
What is the best way to dissolve gallbladder stones?
Stones in the gallbladder can cause pain in the back and the upper right part of the belly. This pain can sometimes be very bad and could also lead to long-term health problems. People are told to take their medicines on time or get surgery if the problem keeps coming back.
Still, there are some useful things you can do to stop gallstones from forming and ease the pain they cause. The diet helps to lower the risk of gallbladder problems in a big way. Fruits and veggies that are good for us and help treat gallstones should be a big part of your gallstones low-fat diet.
Gallstones can be passed out of the body with the help of a healthy diet and some exercise. People who already have gallstones and get biliary colic or gallbladder problems shouldn’t eat foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat.
What are the ways to dissolve gallbladder stones?
Medications:
Gallstones can sometimes be broken up with medicine instead of surgery. But if you do it this way, it could take months or even years to get rid of the gallstones. Also, if the treatment is stopped, there is a chance that gallstones will form again.
People who can’t have surgery because of gallstones are the only ones who take medicine for them.
Shock wave therapy:
Shock wave treatment to dissolve gallstones is another way to break up stones without surgery. It does this with sound waves that have a high frequency. After that, bile salt is given to break up small pieces of stone. Rarely is this treatment used.
Laparoscopic procedure:
The most popular type of surgery is laparoscopic cholecystectomy. After the surgery, the patient is released from the hospital after about 24 hours, and it takes about 2 to 3 days to fully heal.
How can you reduce the risk of gallbladder stones?
There is no way to know for sure how to stop gallstones from forming, but the study points to some possibilities. Eat three well-balanced meals every day, stay at a healthy weight, and exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes most days of the week). Several studies have found that people who drink alcohol in moderation are less likely to get gallstones that cause symptoms.
Is there a way to get rid of gallbladder stones?
If you can’t or don’t want to have surgery and your gallstones are small, you may be able to take a natural bile acid that helps break up cholesterol stones instead.
Can you dissolve gallbladder stones in the gallbladder stones?
Some prescription drugs with bile acids in them can help break up gallstones. Small cholesterol stones are easiest to break up with these medicines. You might need treatment for months or even years to break up all the stones.
Can gallbladder stones dissolve on their own after some time?
Gallstones can go away on their own, but usually, they don’t. If they don’t go away on their own, you may need to treat them. Gallstones don’t always cause symptoms, and if they don’t, changing your food may be all you need to do to avoid problems.
Are gallbladder stones considered serious?
If gallstones get stuck in a bile duct and block it, it can lead to serious, life-threatening problems like inflammation and infection of the bile duct, pancreatitis, or cholecystitis, which is an inflammation of the gallbladder. Also, if it isn’t addressed, it could make the chance of getting “gallbladder cancer” higher.
Important Takeaway:
Gallstones can be treated in other ways besides surgery. These easy and harmless ways can help you get rid of gallstones. One of the easiest and safest ways to get rid of gallstones without any risks is to drink enough water. Speak to your best gastroenterologist in Coimbatore, before trying on the gallbladder treatment.
