| When liquid stored in the gall bladder | | | | obesity is a mojor risk factor for |
| hardens into pieces of stone-like material | | | | gallstones, especially in women. obesity |
| the discussion is about the gallstones. The | | | | tents to reduce the amount of bile salts in |
| bile is used to help the body digest fats. | | | | bile resulting in more cholesterol. Obesity |
| The same bile which is made in the liver is | | | | may also decrease the empty of the |
| stored in the gallbladder until the body | | | | gallbladder. The cholesterol level in bile |
| needs to digest fat. The gallbladder | | | | may appear in cases of excess estrogen from |
| contracts and pushes the bile into a tube-the | | | | pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, or |
| common bile duct-that carries it to the small | | | | birth control pills. |
| intestine, where it helps with digestion. | | | | |
| | | | The presence of estrogen decreases |
| Bile is made of water, cholesterol, fats, | | | | gallbladder movement which can lead to |
| bile salts, proteins and bilirubin. The | | | | gallstones. The Americans have a genetic |
| bilirubin gives bile a yellowish color and | | | | predisposition to secrete high levels to |
| the bile salts break up fat. there are two | | | | cholesterol in bile. A mojority of Native |
| types of gallstones: cholesterol stones and | | | | American men have gallstones by age 60. |
| pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are | | | | Amoung the Indians of Arizona, 70 per cent of |
| yellow-green and they are made of hardened | | | | women have gallstones by age 30. Women and |
| cholesterol. They are in an account of 80 per | | | | Mexican American men of all ages have high |
| cent of gallstones. Pigment stones are small, | | | | rates of gallstones. Women between 20 and 60 |
| dark stones made of bilirubin. Gallstones may | | | | years are predisposed to develop gallstones |
| look like of grain of sand or as large as a | | | | as men. The elder people are more likely to |
| golf ball. | | | | develop gallstones than younger people. The |
| | | | risk of gallstones can increase because drugs |
| Any combination of gallstones may develop for | | | | that lower cholesterol levels in blood and at |
| example one large stone, hundreds of tiny | | | | the sometime increase the amount of |
| stones. The biliary system shows the | | | | cholesterol secreted in bile. |
| following range: the gallbladder and the | | | | |
| ducts that carry bile and other digestive | | | | High levels of fatty acids called |
| enzymes from the liver, gallbladder, pancreas | | | | triglycerides are present in people with |
| to the small intestine. The normal flow of | | | | diabetes. In a case of a rapid weight loss |
| bile in any of the ducts that carry bile from | | | | the liver secrete extra cholesterol into |
| the liver to the small intestine can be | | | | bile, which can cause gallstones. The bile |
| blocked by some gallstones. The hepatic | | | | can become over concentrate with cholesterol, |
| ducts, the cystic duct and the common bile | | | | which can lead to gallstones due to the |
| duct involves the bile which trapped in these | | | | fasting decreases gallbladder movement. The |
| ducts and can cause inflammation in the | | | | symptoms of gallstones are often named |
| gallbladder. | | | | gallstone "attack" because they appear |
| | | | suddenly. A typical attack can cause: steady |
| Other ducts open into the common bile | | | | pain in the upper abdomen, pain in the back |
| including the pancreating duct which carries | | | | between the shoulder blades, pain under the |
| digestive enzyme out of the pancreas. The | | | | right shoulder, nausea or vomiting. Gallstone |
| opening of a duct may be blocked by a present | | | | attacks often occur after fatty meals and |
| gallstone which can cause an extremly painful | | | | they may appear during the night. Other |
| inflammation called gallstone pancreatitis. | | | | gallstones symptoms are: abdominal bloating, |
| If one of these ducts remain blocks | | | | recccuring intolerance of fatty foods, colic, |
| infections affecting the gallbladder liver or | | | | belching, gas and indigestion. |
| pancreas can occur. There are some serious | | | | |
| problems considered as warning size: fever, | | | | Patients who have the above and any of the |
| jaundice and persistent pain. The cholesterol | | | | following symptoms should consult a doctor |
| stones form when bile contains too much | | | | right away: chills, low-grade fever, |
| cholesterol, too much bilirubin or not enough | | | | yellowish color of the skin or whites of the |
| bile salts, or when the gallbladder does not | | | | eyes, clay-colored stools. Unfortunately |
| empty as it should for some other reason. | | | | there are asymptomatic patients with no |
| | | | symptoms and their stones are called "silent |
| The cause of pigment stones is undefined. | | | | stones". They do not interract with |
| They develop in people who have cirrhosis, | | | | gallbladder, liver or pancreas function and |
| biliary tract infections and hereditary blood | | | | do not need treatment. |
| disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, in | | | | |
| which too much bilirubin is formed. The | | | | There are many causes of gallstones but |
| gallstones have been indentified as | | | | doctors discovered many currying ways. |
| cholesterol stones. It is believed that | | | | |