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Gallstones
Overview:
Gallstones are solid deposits of cholesterol or calcium salts that form in your gallbladder or nearby bile ducts. They often cause no symptoms and require no treatment. But some people with gallstones 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 and intermittent.
Signs and Symptoms:
You may not know you have gallstones until they're discovered during tests done for other reasons. But sometimes gallstones may cause certain signs and symptoms. Gallstone symptoms include: Chronic indigestion, Upper abdominal pain, Nausea and vomiting and Fever.
Causes and Organs Affected:
Your liver produces bile — a greenish-brown fluid composed of bile salts, fatty compounds, cholesterol and other chemicals. This fluid is concentrated and stored in your gallbladder you need it to help digest fats in your small intestine.
When you eat, your gallbladder contracts and releases bile through the cystic duct and into the common bile duct. 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 particles that eventually grow into stones.
Risk Factor:
Gallstones tend to run in families. Other factors that may increase your risk include: Sex, Body weight, Diet, Age and Ethnicity.
Treatment:
Because the majority of gallstones produce no symptoms, they require no treatment. Doctors often discover these "silent stones" during routine medical checkups or exams for other illnesses and usually recommend taking a wait-and-see approach to treatment. If your gallstones cause symptoms, however, several possible treatments are available.
Surgery
Removing the gallbladder is the preferred treatment for the majority of people who have gallstones that cause symptoms. In fact, gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States.
Other Information:
Although you can't entirely prevent gallstones from forming, you may be able to lower your risk by following these suggestions:
* Maintain a healthy body weight. If you need to lose weight, experts recommend losing no more than 1/2 to 2 pounds a week.
* Avoid crash diets or a very low intake of calories — less than 800 calories a day.
* Be active. Make sure that you exercise regularly.
* Choose a low-fat, high-fiber diet that emphasizes fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Reduce the amount of animal fat, butter, margarine, mayonnaise and fried foods you eat.