katyzzzGallbladder Problems and treatment
December 2nd 2006 12:00
Some 20 million Americans live with gallstones and other gallbladder disorders, but only a small percentage experience gallbladder symptoms, and even fewer have recurrent problems. No one knows what causes gallbladder disease, but it's doubtful any one culprit is to blame. Several factors, including heredity, diet, hormones, overweight, and infections, likely play a role.
The medical terms for gallbladder disease are almost unpronounceable. Cholelithiasis (ko-le-li-THY-a-sis) refers to gallstones, and cholecystitis (ko-le-sis-TY-tis) to an inflamed gallbladder.
The Gallbladder :
The gallbladder is a small, muscular, pear-shaped sac just under the right side of your liver. It can hold about a quarter cup of bile, a yellowish-green material produced by the liver. Bile is made of water, bile salts and acids, cholesterol, and phospholipids (compounds that help dissolve fats). Its main function is to help break up large globs of fat into smaller globs -- the first step in digesting fat. Now let's investigate some of the complications that can lead to gallbladder problems.
Gallstones :
Gallstones are hardened masses that consist mainly of cholesterol, blood, bile (fluid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder), calcium, and other substances. The stones form in the gallbladder or in the bile duct leading into the small intestine.
Symptoms: By themselves, gallstones often produce no signs of disease. About half the people with gallstones have no visible symptoms. Symptoms that do appear are usually chronic (long-term) in nature, including discomfort and pain in the upper abdomen, indigestion, nausea, and intolerance of fatty foods. Sometimes the gallstones may pass through the bile duct into the intestines to be excreted naturally.
Complications: Serious complications of liver damage can develop if gallstones become lodged between the gallbladder and small intestine and block the flow of bile.
Diagnosis: Gallstones that cause no symptoms may be detected through ultrasound, a technique that uses sound waves to create images of the body's internal structures. Some studies using radioactive isotopes have been developed to differentiate between acute and chronic cholecystitis.
Treatment: For acute gallbladder attacks that are caused by gallstones and that cause severe and prolonged symptoms, physicians generally recommend a cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder). This procedure is one of the most commonly performed types of abdominal surgery. A technique called laparoscopy can be used to remove the gallbladder without requiring a standard surgical incision.
Acute Cholecystitis :
In about 90 percent of cases, acute cholecystitis results when the outlet of the gallbladder or the duct leading from it is plugged by a gallstone. A gallstone is formed in the gallbladder from cholesterol, calcium, bile pigments, or a combination of these substances. Unless the stone becomes dislodged, inflammation and pressure build up behind it. In severe cases, the swollen gallbladder may not receive enough blood, resulting in tissue death.
Chronic Cholecystitis :
Chronic cholecystitis is a continued inflammation of the gallbladder, with repeated attacks over time that are similar to, but milder than, those of acute cholecystitis. Gallstones are usually present; whether they develop before or after the emergence of the disease is unknown. The causes of chronic cholecystitis are not entirely understood, although occasionally bacterial infection is the reason. Diet, heredity, and hormones also appear to be involved, and chronic cholecystitis is more likely to affect women than men.
Dietary Treatments for Gallbladder Problems :
Experts say some, though not all, gallbladder disease can be prevented, and diet appears to play a crucial role. The composition of your bile strongly affects your risk of developing gallstones. And what you eat influences bile composition.
When Diet Isn't Enough
Doctors use a variety of treatments to provide some degree of relief from chronic gallbladder disease, but the standard treatment is to remove the organ.
Once the gallbladder is removed, bile flows from the liver into the small intestine, instead of being stored in the gallbladder. Most people can resume a normal diet after having their gallbladder removed.
The strongest diet connection relates to eating too much. Research has found, at least in women, that the heavier you are, the higher your gallstone risk. Even being moderately overweight almost doubles your risk. While losing weight can decrease your risk in the long run, you need to take it slowly. Ironically, rapid weight loss is a suspect in gallstone formation.
The medical terms for gallbladder disease are almost unpronounceable. Cholelithiasis (ko-le-li-THY-a-sis) refers to gallstones, and cholecystitis (ko-le-sis-TY-tis) to an inflamed gallbladder.
The Gallbladder :
Gallstones :
Gallstones are hardened masses that consist mainly of cholesterol, blood, bile (fluid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder), calcium, and other substances. The stones form in the gallbladder or in the bile duct leading into the small intestine.
Symptoms: By themselves, gallstones often produce no signs of disease. About half the people with gallstones have no visible symptoms. Symptoms that do appear are usually chronic (long-term) in nature, including discomfort and pain in the upper abdomen, indigestion, nausea, and intolerance of fatty foods. Sometimes the gallstones may pass through the bile duct into the intestines to be excreted naturally.
Complications: Serious complications of liver damage can develop if gallstones become lodged between the gallbladder and small intestine and block the flow of bile.
Diagnosis: Gallstones that cause no symptoms may be detected through ultrasound, a technique that uses sound waves to create images of the body's internal structures. Some studies using radioactive isotopes have been developed to differentiate between acute and chronic cholecystitis.
Treatment: For acute gallbladder attacks that are caused by gallstones and that cause severe and prolonged symptoms, physicians generally recommend a cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder). This procedure is one of the most commonly performed types of abdominal surgery. A technique called laparoscopy can be used to remove the gallbladder without requiring a standard surgical incision.
Acute Cholecystitis :
In about 90 percent of cases, acute cholecystitis results when the outlet of the gallbladder or the duct leading from it is plugged by a gallstone. A gallstone is formed in the gallbladder from cholesterol, calcium, bile pigments, or a combination of these substances. Unless the stone becomes dislodged, inflammation and pressure build up behind it. In severe cases, the swollen gallbladder may not receive enough blood, resulting in tissue death.
Chronic Cholecystitis :
Chronic cholecystitis is a continued inflammation of the gallbladder, with repeated attacks over time that are similar to, but milder than, those of acute cholecystitis. Gallstones are usually present; whether they develop before or after the emergence of the disease is unknown. The causes of chronic cholecystitis are not entirely understood, although occasionally bacterial infection is the reason. Diet, heredity, and hormones also appear to be involved, and chronic cholecystitis is more likely to affect women than men.
Dietary Treatments for Gallbladder Problems :
Experts say some, though not all, gallbladder disease can be prevented, and diet appears to play a crucial role. The composition of your bile strongly affects your risk of developing gallstones. And what you eat influences bile composition.
When Diet Isn't Enough
Doctors use a variety of treatments to provide some degree of relief from chronic gallbladder disease, but the standard treatment is to remove the organ.
Once the gallbladder is removed, bile flows from the liver into the small intestine, instead of being stored in the gallbladder. Most people can resume a normal diet after having their gallbladder removed.
The strongest diet connection relates to eating too much. Research has found, at least in women, that the heavier you are, the higher your gallstone risk. Even being moderately overweight almost doubles your risk. While losing weight can decrease your risk in the long run, you need to take it slowly. Ironically, rapid weight loss is a suspect in gallstone formation.
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