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