Gallstones are hardened liquids that form in the gallbladder, small organs located below the liver. Another name for gallstones is gallstone. The gallbladder or gallbladder helps the digestive process by storing bile and removing the bile into the small intestine when food enters. Recognize the causes of gallstones, causes, and ways to treat gallstone or gallstone disease.
What is Gallstone or Gallstone
Bile is a liquid produced by the liver and consists of several substances, including cholesterol, bilirubin, and bile salts.
Gallstones are pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder. These stones develop because of cholesterol and bile pigments which sometimes form hard particles.
Furthermore, the gallbladder or gallbladder is an organ in the body that looks similar to a pear. Inside there are about 50 ml of bile to help the digestive process.
What does the gallbladder look like?
Generally, the gallbladder is 7-10 cm in size. The color is dark green, according to the bile in it.
Also know the two main types of gallstone disease, namely:
Usually yellow and green, about 80 percent of gallstones are cholesterol stones.
These stones are smaller, darker, and made of bilirubin.
Causes of Gallstones
Of course there are several factors that cause gallstones. Also note that cholelithiasis is a gallstone disease. This gallstone disease is found in the gallbladder, koledokus duct, or both.
Some factors that cause gallstones include:
- Genetics
- Weight
- Decreased motility (movement) of the gallbladder
- Food supply.
Disease Gallstones can form when there is an imbalance in bile-forming substances. For example, cholesterol stones can develop as a result of too much cholesterol in the bile. Other causes of gallstones may be due to the inability of the gallbladder to empty itself properly.
Pigment stones are more common in people with certain medical conditions, such as cirrhosis (liver disease where scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue) or blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia.
Risk Factors for Gallstones
After we discuss about the causes of gallstones, of course it needs to be discussed also about the risk factors for gallstones. That way, we will avoid the risk of gallstones.
Risk factors for having gallstones include:
Descent
If someone else in your family has gallstones, you are at risk of potentially experiencing gallstones
Obesity
This is one of the biggest risk factors. Obesity can cause an increase in cholesterol.
Pregnant women or taking birth control pills
Estrogen can increase cholesterol and reduce gallbladder motility. Women who are pregnant or who take birth control pills or other hormonal contraceptives have higher estrogen levels and are more likely to experience gallstones
Ethnic background
Certain ethnic groups, including Native Americans and Mexican-Americans, are more likely to develop gallstones
Gender and age
Gallstones are more common in women and parents
Taking cholesterol medication
Some cholesterol-lowering drugs increase the amount of cholesterol in the bile, which can increase the potential for cholesterol stones
Diabetes
People with diabetes tend to have higher levels of glycerid (a type of blood fat), which is a risk factor for gallstones
Drastic weight loss
If someone loses weight too quickly, the liver will release extra cholesterol, which can cause gallstones. Fasting can also cause the gallbladder to contract less.
Symptoms of Gallstones
Gallstones often do not cause symptoms. Someone usually knows that they have gallstones when they are being examined for other diseases. Therefore it's good to know the symptoms of gallstones.
Generally, symptoms of gallstones consist of:
- Nausea
- Gag
- Other digestive problems, including bloating, heartburn and discomfort in the stomach
- Pain in the upper abdomen and upper back and this pain can last for several hours.
Diagnosis of Gallstones
If your doctor suspects you have gallstones, your doctor will perform a physical examination and may perform various other tests, including the following checks:
Blood test
Blood tests can be given to check for signs of infection or obstruction and or to rule out other conditions
Ultrasonography
This procedure produces images from various parts of the body and can be used to identify gallstones
CAT Scan
This test uses special X-rays to make a cross-section of the body's organs and tissues.
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
This test uses magnetic fields and radio wave energy pulses to get images of structures in the body, including the liver and gallbladder
Cholescintigraphy
This test can determine whether the gallbladder contracts properly. Radioactive material is injected into the patient and goes to the gallbladder. The technician then observes the movement of the gallbladder
Endoscopic Ultrasound
This test combines ultrasound and endoscopy to look for gallstones
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
The doctor inserts the endoscope through the patient's mouth into the small intestine and injects the dye to allow the bile ducts to be seen.
How to treat gallstones
Treating bile or usually with surgery and taking the gallbladder. Traditional surgery is called open cholecystectomy. A new procedure called laparoscopic cholecystectomy, less invasive, has fewer and more frequent complications.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
During this procedure, the instrument, light, and camera are inserted through several small incisions in the abdomen. The surgeon will see the inside of the body through a laparoscope projected through a video monitor, then the gallbladder is taken. After surgery, the patient needs to be hospitalized
Open cholecystectomy
This is a more invasive procedure where the surgeon makes a larger incision in the abdomen to remove the gallbladder. The patient stays in the hospital for several days after surgery.
If the gallstones are in the bile duct, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography can be used to find and take them before or during gallbladder surgery.
Treatment of gallstones without surgery
If you have a medical condition and your doctor feels you don't have to have gallstones, your doctor may prescribe sursodiol (Actigall) and chenodiol (Chenix). This drug works to dissolve cholesterol stones. Mild diarrhea can be a side effect of both drugs.
The disadvantage of using drugs is that you may have to take them for years to actually shed the stone. In addition, gallstones can recur after you stop taking medication.