| Gallstones are a result of a malfunction of | | | | others aged less then 60. |
| the gallbladder. They appear when the liquid | | | | |
| inside the gallbladder hardens and creates | | | | Women are exposed to this disease more than |
| small hard pieces that resemble to stone. | | | | men. They might develop gallstones between 20 |
| | | | and 60 years of age. It seems that among the |
| The bile is the liquid inside the | | | | Pima Indians of Arizona 70% of the women aged |
| gallbladder. It is produced by the liver and | | | | under 30 have gallstones already. Mexican |
| then kept inside the gallbladder until fat | | | | American men and women have a high risk of |
| digestion is needed. It will then be pushed | | | | developing this affection too. |
| by the gallbladder into the common bile duct | | | | |
| and then it will get inside the small | | | | Those who have diabetes are considered to be |
| intestine where it will perform its digestive | | | | exposed to gallstones because they have high |
| function. | | | | levels of triglycerides which increase the |
| | | | risk of gallstones. |
| The bile is made out of water, bile salts, | | | | |
| cholesterol, fats, proteins, and bilirubin. | | | | Is someone looses weight in a short while the |
| All these components give bile its yellowish | | | | fat will be metabolized by the body during |
| color and break up the fats. The reason why | | | | this loss of weight and will determine the |
| gallstones form out of bile is because | | | | liver to secrete more cholesterol in the |
| sometimes this bile composition can change | | | | bile, resulting the gallstone's formation. |
| containing a lot of cholesterol or a lot of | | | | |
| bile salts and bilirubin. | | | | Also, pregnant women and those who follow |
| | | | hormone therapy based on estrogens can |
| Cholesterol stones have a yellow-greenish | | | | develop gallstones. Estrogen has been proven |
| color and are made of cholesterol most of | | | | to increase the level of cholesterol inside |
| all. 80% of the gallstones are represented by | | | | the bile and decrease the gallbladder's |
| cholesterol stones. | | | | movements. |
| | | | |
| Another type of gallstones is that made out | | | | Gallstones can give symptoms that look like |
| of pigment (bilirubin) and is small and dark. | | | | attacks because they install suddenly. |
| | | | |
| The size of the gallstones is varied. Some | | | | Some of the classic symptoms are: nausea and |
| stones are tiny but others can occupy the | | | | vomiting, pain in the right upper abdomen |
| whole place in the gallbladder. Sometimes | | | | that gets worse as time passes and pain in |
| inside the gallbladder doctors find one stone | | | | the right shoulder and the area between the |
| and in other patients they might find 2 to 10 | | | | shoulder blades. Bloating, belching, gas, |
| stones of different sizes and shapes. | | | | jaundice, fever and indigestion are also |
| | | | present in such an attack. |
| The biliary system is made out of the | | | | |
| gallbladder and the ducts. This system is | | | | Sometimes the gallstones give no symptoms and |
| carrying the bile from the liver towards the | | | | are considered to be silent stones. They |
| small intestine to help in the digestion | | | | generally do not interfere with the pancreas |
| process. | | | | or gallbladder and to not require treatment. |
| | | | |
| Gallstones can interfere with the bile's | | | | Diagnosing gallstones is usually made by |
| normal flow and can block it if they get | | | | accident, especially the silent ones while |
| stuck in any of the small ducts: the hepatic | | | | performing some tests for other problems. If |
| ducts, the cystic duct and the common bile | | | | the doctor suspects that you feel sick |
| duct. If the bile gets locked inside one of | | | | because of gallstones he will ran an |
| these ducts complications like pancreatitis | | | | ultrasound test to see if gallstones are |
| or gallbladder inflammation can occur. Signs | | | | present. These ultrasounds are not harmful |
| of such a problem are: jaundice, fever and | | | | and are used even when showing the baby to |
| intense pain that lasts a long time. | | | | the pregnant mother. |
| | | | |
| Gallstones form due to an increased quantity | | | | Other tests can also be performed like the CT |
| of cholesterol inside the bile, due to | | | | which will show the complications too. A |
| biliary tract infections and other | | | | magnetic resonance cholangiogram can be used |
| assumptions like: hereditary blood disorders | | | | when suspecting that the bile ducts have been |
| and cirrhosis. | | | | blocked by the gallstone. For showing a |
| | | | malfunction in the contraction of the |
| Other factors that lead to gallstones | | | | gallbladder the cholescintigraphy will be |
| formation are: obesity, ethnicity, age, | | | | used. This means that a radioactive material |
| gender, diabetes and rapid weight loss. | | | | will be injected in the body and it will |
| | | | stimulate the gallbladder to contract showing |
| Obesity is considered a factor of risk | | | | any abnormalities in this process. Sometimes |
| because it reduces the amount of bile salts | | | | even blood tests will be requested to see |
| in bile and so cholesterol will be in an | | | | signs of possible infection, obstruction or |
| increased amount inside that bile. | | | | pancreatitis. |
| | | | |
| Native Americans have a genetic | | | | Doctors know that the symptoms of gallstones |
| predisposition for developing gallstones. | | | | are similar to those of appendicitis, |
| They seem to secrete more cholesterol inside | | | | pancreatitis, hepatitis, heart attack and |
| the bile than needed. Most of all those aged | | | | ulcers and will perform tests to eliminate |
| over 60 are suspected to be at risk of | | | | these diseases before diagnosing gallstones. |
| developing gallstones more frequent than | | | | |