Gallstones
The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that’s tucked beneath your liver. It stores bile (digestive juice), a fluid that helps the body break down fat.
Gallstones are tiny stones that form inside the gallbladder. they’ll be small specks or get as big as the whole gallbladder, which might be up to 6 inches long.
Normally, the gallbladder fills with bile(digestive fluid) in between meals. Then, when you eat fatty foods, the gallbladder empties the digestive fluid into the intestine. Sometimes, though, gallstones clog the gallbladder and block it from draining. Other times, gallstones simply irritate the gallbladder. If the gallstones are pushed out of the gallbladder, they can block the liver or pancreas from draining.
In most cases, gallstones don’t cause any symptoms. when they do cause symptoms, gallstones may cause:
- Belly pain – usually on the right side just below the rib cage or in the middle top portion of the belly
- Pain in the right shoulder or back pain
- Nausea and vomit
If you recognize that you have gallstones but don’t have any symptoms, you most likely won’t need treatment. however, if you start having symptoms, you must get treated. The symptoms can come and go; however, they usually intensify over time.
Not usually. In rare cases they can result in serious issues, including:
- Jaundice, a condition that turns your skin and eyes yellow
- Infection of the gallbladder
- Tears in the gallbladder, which might result in death
- Inflammation of the pancreas (the pancreas is an organ that produces hormones and juices involved in food breakdown)
Yes, doctors can determine if you have gallstones by doing an imaging test, like an ultrasound. an ultrasound is a painless test that uses sound waves to make an image of your gallbladder.
Even if tests show that you have gallstones, that doesn’t mean they’re inflicting symptoms. Your doctor may ought to do different tests sure certain your stones and your symptoms are related.
People with gallstones generally have three treatment choices. they can have:
- No treatment – This is best choice for people who has no symptoms. If they start having symptoms, they can consider treatment then.
- Surgery to get rid of the gallbladder and the stones – Gallbladder surgery is routine in the United States. however, it involves using anaesthesia, thus it has some risks. The surgery doesn’t have an effect on digestion much. but about half the people who have surgery have mild symptoms later on, together with watery bowel movements, gas, or bloating. These symptoms usually recover. those who have their gallbladder removed don’t need to worry concerning gallstones returning.
The right treatment for you may rely on:
- How large are your stones?
- Whether you have got symptoms, and how bad the symptoms are
- How you’re feeling about the treatment options
Ask your doctor how each treatment might affect you. Then work with him or her to seek out the treatment that creates the most sense for you.
Yes. you can try to keep yourself at a healthy weight. those who are overweight are more likely to get gallstones.
If you intend to slim down quickly – even if you have never had gallstones – ask your doctor what you can do to keep from getting gallstones. Losing weight quickly – for instance, through weight loss surgery – can result in gallstones. however, your doctor can provide you with medicines to keep that from happening.