Gallstone disease is a disease of the biliary tract. In gallstones, the most important thing is the formation of a deposit called stones in the gallbladder or in the bile ducts. Why this is so is not entirely clear. It is only known that the precipitation of stones is highly influenced by thickening and stagnation of bile.

Contents:

  1. Gallstones - gallstones
  2. Gallstones - symptoms of an attack
  3. Gallstones - research
  4. Gallstones - treatment

Gallstonesbegins with a bad tolerance of chocolate, eggs, milk … We ignore these signs, blame them for liver problems or ulcers. Then the symptoms worsen: a few hours after the meal, pains appear on the right side of the abdomen, under the ribs, sometimes they radiate towards the shoulder blade and last for about an hour.

They may be accompanied by gas, belching, nausea, and vomiting. Finally comes the attack: sometimes at night, in the morning. The pain is intense and violent, especially when inhaling. There is fever, nausea, vomiting and chills. It's hard to take it. An ambulance needs to be called.

The complaints presented here may mean that you suffer from gallstone disease and an acute attack at the end is biliary colic. It is a fairly common disease, one of the most common in the abdominal cavity. It is estimated that in Poland, it suffers from gallstone disease from 15 to 30 percent. adults, especially fluffy ladies in their forties. The vast majority of them, however, do not have the symptoms described above or they are so little bothersome that they do not pay attention to them. Until.

Gallstones - gallstones

The essence of gallstone disease is the formation of stones in the gallbladder or in the bile ducts. Why this is so is not entirely clear. It is only known that the precipitation of stones is highly influenced by thickening and stagnation of bile.

The cholesterol and bile pigments it contains build up in the form of deposits and irritate the mucosa of the follicle, causing it to become inflamed, which in turn causes the release of calcium, which is additionally deposited in these stones. Stones inhibit the proper flow of bile, which is essential in the digestive process.

That is why ailments appear most often after eating foodfatty and hard to digest and are caused by stretching of the gallbladder wall due to cholestasis. Blockage of the gallbladder neck or bile duct with a stone results in a violent attack - colic.

Read also: Gallstones, or deposits in the gallbladder

Gallstones - symptoms of an attack

When the gallstone moves and releases bile, discomfort and pain go away, but may come back at any time. If a stone becomes trapped in the neck of the bladder or bile duct, it causes stagnation of bile in the bladder. Bile irritates its mucosa, which in turn causes acute inflammation of the gallbladder. It is accompanied by prolonged and constant pain, sensitivity to pressure under the right rib, fever.

But these symptoms may disappear on their own if the bile finds an outlet after the stone is moved. However, repeated inflammation can lead to chronic cholecystitis and, as a result, to further complications (hydrocele or empyema, or gallbladder perforation and peritonitis) requiring immediate surgical intervention.

Gallstones - research

A doctor, based on typical symptoms, is able to quickly diagnose gallstone disease at an early stage of its development. Nevertheless, he will probably order an ultrasound examination, which is sufficient to detect deposits.

Read also: Biliary colic attack: what to do?

You must do it
  • Ambulance needs to be called most often for a patient with biliary colic. Management is the parenteral administration of potent antispasmodics.
  • In an attack of biliary colic, the pain relief is favored by heating the abdomen under the right rib with a warm hot-water bottle, a several-hour fast is recommended.
  • Sufferers of gallstones should follow an easily digestible diet (liver diet) and avoid alcohol. Over-the-counter cholagogic and choleretic drugs are also recommended.

Gallstones - treatment

Treatment of gallstone disease involves surgical removal of the stones. The operation is as simple as surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy). Currently, this procedure is most often performed using the laparoscopic method.

Conservative methods involving the administration of oral medications containing ursodeoxycholic acid, which is a physiological component of bile, are also possible, but doctors consider them expensive and ineffective, and possible only in mild gallstones

Category:

Gastrology