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Suffering from excessive abdominal pain or other irregularities due to gallstones? The given page has a brief overview regarding gallstones, starting from its risks, origin, treatment, and other information you should know if you are suffering from gallstones.
Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluids that form crystals inside the gallbladder The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ located on the right side of the abdomen, just beneath the liver. The gallbladder stores and releases bile, a fluid made in the liver that helps in digestion. Gallstones can range from the size of a grain to that of a golf-ball. They block the bile duct causing an inflammation or infection of the gallbladder, which is medically known as Cholecystitis, and can lead to life-threatening complications if left untreated.
The bile juice carries wastes like cholesterol and bilirubin which are made from the breakdown of hemoglobin present in the red blood cells which result in the formation of gallstones. When excess cholesterol present in the bile crystallizes, it prevents the gallbladder from emptying properly, causing sudden piercing pain in the abdomen. These gallstones then block the bile ducts in the biliary tract causing a gallbladder attack that can be extremely painful.
Cholesterol Stones
Pigment Stones
Even if you might not suffer from any sort of pain from gallstones initially, they might internally lead you to several complications which can include the following symptoms:
If you are going through any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you might consider suffering from the complications of a possible gallstone attack and should immediately seek medical assistance.
In case you are suffering from any of the symptoms of a possible gallstone, it would be best for you to consult a gallstone specialist. The doctor will conduct a diagnosis of your condition in the following ways:
Based on the readings of the above tests, the doctor might also carry out a CT scan, MRI scan, HIDA scan, and run tests like ERCP.
In this stage, the gallbladder appears normally without any adhesions. Although the conditions inside the gallbladder may favour possible gallstone formation, nothing is formed quite yet and you can take certain measures to prevent the potential risks of developing gallstone.
This is the stage where small gallstones present inside the gallbladder are easily detectable but do not cause any problems as they are able to pass through the biliary tract and can be expelled.
This is the stage in which the gallstones can block your bile duct and cause abdominal pain. However, the pain will not be constant and will be felt especially after you have a meal.
This is the final stage, where the condition becomes potentially life-threatening as the bile is blocked and unable to flow out of the gallbladder. If proper treatment is not received on time, this can be fatal as the chances of developing a potential gallbladder cancer is very high in this stage.
Maintaining your body weight by including high-fibre meals in your diet and getting regular exercise can lower the risk of attaining gallstones. You will have to make sure that your sugar level is in control as people with diabetes are at a higher risk of getting gallstones. Consuming good fats in the form of olive oil, canola oil, and fish can contribute to keeping your gallbladder healthy, and help you in reducing the risk of developing gallstones.
MC Mary Kom: Olympic medalist MC Mary Kom underwent a gallbladder removal surgery after she was rushed to the hospital because of experiencing severe pain due to gallstones back in September, 2013.
Bharti Singh: Popular stand-up comedian Bharti Singh was rushed to Mumbai’s Kokilaben hospital after suffering from severe stomach pain, caused due to the presence of several gallstones in her gallbladder back in June, 2017.
Dalai Lama: Nobel-Prize winning Buddhist leader Dalai Lama was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai after complaining about suffering from severe pain and discomfort back in October 2008. Upon diagnosis, it was found out that there were several stones ranging from half-a centimetre to one centimetre in size after which he had to undergo a minimally invasive surgery.
Eric Clapton: Back in the year 2009, rock and roll legend Eric Clapton had to pull himself out of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame concert in New York after suffering from a severe gallstones attack.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra: Indian politician and general secretary of All India Congress Committee Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was found to have gallstones during a routine checkup back in March, 2013, after which, she had to undergo an elective gallbladder surgery.
Myth 1: Gallstones can be flushed out in urine.
Fact: Gallstones develop in the gallbladder and do not pass out in the urine. Urinary stones formed in the kidney can pass out through urine.
Myth 2: Gallbladder surgery is risky and painful.
Fact: While all kinds of surgeries involve a certain percentage of risks, gallstone surgeries are effective and very safe. Being one of the most commonly performed surgeries to remove gallstones, a keyhole/laparoscopic surgery is barely painful.
Myth 3: All gallstones need immediate treatment.
Fact: Gallstones can be left untreated if they do not cause any signs and symptoms. However, it is important to remember that you have gallstones in case they begin to cause problems in the future.
Myth 4: Endoscopy can remove gallstones.
Fact: Endoscopy (ERCP) is helpful only in removing stones which have entered the bile duct from the gallbladder. There is a possibility that the gallstones can recur and removing gallstones by endoscopy has not yet become a routine practice.
Myth 5: Only gallstones are removed during a surgery.
Fact: Gallstones result in poor and abnormal functioning of the gallbladder. The entire gallbladder is removed during surgery as it prevents further inflammation and also reduces the chances of recurrence.
The first ever gallstone removal surgery was performed by German surgeon Carl Johann August Langenbuch on 15th July, 1882 in Berlin, Germany.
The presence of small gallstones in the gallbladder might not cause any significant signs and symptoms initially and certain cases might never require treatment. But, if you are suffering from complications like severe abdominal pain that lasts for almost two hours, nausea and vomiting, without making a delay you should immediately seek medical assistance. Consulting a gastroenterologist or an abdominal surgeon who specialises in the digestive system in this case would be the wisest decision to make.
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Based on the conditions and severity of your symptoms, the doctor might treat your gallstones without giving it a surgical approach. However, a non-surgical procedure only works when you are having cholesterol stones.
In case if you have gone through a gallstone attack, the gastroenterologist might recommend you to wait and want to see whether you have more of such attacks frequently. If you are suffering from pain and other severe complications caused by the gallstones, you may need to go through a surgical procedure to remove the gallstones/gallbladder. Gallstone or gallbladder removal surgeries are one of the most commonly performed surgical methods across the world. Doctors generally advise surgery if you are suffering from repeated gallstone attacks in order to prevent possible complications that might result in a severe outcome.
Though insurance is very beneficial to the patient, most of the patients opt for better amenities and services while using health insurance policies to cover the cost of a gallstone surgery. With insurance, the expenses of the treatment may go higher than expectations, but, as the sum is deducted from the insurance, the patient does not feel a burden on his/her shoulder.
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People with a bile duct obstruction often experience symptoms like pain and itching usually in the upper right side of the abdomen followed by fever, chills and sweating.
The pain inflicted may be often worse while lying down but is less intense when sitting up or bending over.
There is nothing that can help to stop a gallbladder attack. The pain shall automatically subside once the gallstone has passed. However, drinking water may provide some temporary relief as it helps the gallbladder to empty properly and keeps the bile from building up.
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