Gallbladder, Gallbladder stone, symptoms and causes

What Is the Gallbladder?

Your gallbladder is a 4-inch, pear-shaped organ. It’s positioned under your liver in the upper right section of your abdomen. The gallbladder stores bile, a combination of fluids, fat, and cholesterol. Bile helps break down fat from food in your intestine. The gallbladder delivers bile into the small intestine. This allows fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients to be more easily absorbed into the bloodstream.

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Potential Gallbladder Problems

Any disease that affects your gallbladder is considered a gallbladder disease. The following conditions are all gallbladder diseases:

1. Inflammation

Inflammation of the gallbladder is called cholecystitis. Cholecystitis can be either chronic (long-term) or acute (short-term). Chronic inflammation is the result of several acute cholecystitis attacks. Inflammation may eventually damage the gallbladder, making it lose its ability to function correctly.

2. Gallstones

Gallstones are small, hardened deposits that form in the gallbladder. These deposits can develop and go undetected for years. In fact, many people have gallstones and aren’t aware of them. They eventually cause problems, including inflammation, infection, and pain. Gallstones typically cause short-term cholecystitis.

Gallstones are usually very small, no more than a few millimeters wide. But they can grow to several centimeters. Some people develop only one gallstone, while others develop several. As the gallstones grow in size, they can begin to block the channels that lead out of the gallbladder.

Most gallstones are formed from cholesterol found in the gallbladder’s bile. Another type of gallstone, a pigment stone, is formed from calcium bilirubinate. Calcium bilirubinate is a chemical that’s produced when your body breaks down red blood cells. This type of stone is more rare.

Gallstones can lurk inside your gallbladder. Many people have gallstones and never know it. Gallstones are hard deposits in your gallbladder, a small organ that stores bile, which is a digestive fluid made in the liver. Gallstones may consist of cholesterol, salt, or bilirubin, which is discarded red blood cells. Gallstones range in size. They can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as an apricot.

What Causes Gallstones?

The components in bile can crystallize and harden in your gallbladder, leading to gallstones. According to Harvard Health Publications, 80 percent of gallstones are made of cholesterol. The other 20 percent of gallstones are made of calcium salts and bilirubin. These are known as pigment stones.

1. Cholesterol Stones

Gallstones may develop when there is too much cholesterol in the bile secreted by your liver. Bile usually dissolves or breaks down cholesterol. However, if your liver makes more cholesterol than your bile can dissolve, hard stones may develop.

2. Bilirubin

Bilirubin is a chemical produced when your liver destroys old red blood cells. Some conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver and certain blood disorders, cause your liver to produce more bilirubin than it should. Stones form when your gallbladder cannot break down the excess bilirubin. These hard substances are also called pigmented stones.

3. Concentrated Bile

Your gallbladder needs to empty bile to be healthy and function properly. If it fails to empty its bile content, the bile becomes overly concentrated, which causes stones to form.

Who Is at Risk for Gallstones?

While your body produces cholesterol naturally, you can also take in excess cholesterol through your diet. Many risk factors for gallstones are related to diet. These include:

• being overweight or obese
• eating a diet that’s high in fat or cholesterol
• rapid weight loss within a short period of time
• eating diet that’s high in fiber
• having diabetes mellitus

Other risk factors include:

• being female
• being pregnant
• having a family history of gallstones
• being age 60 or older
• having cirrhosis of the liver
• taking certain medications for lowering cholesterol
• taking medications that have a high estrogen content

Don’t stop taking any medicines unless you have discussed it with your doctor.

Symptoms of Gallstones

You may not experience any symptoms if you have gallstones. According to the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), 80 percent of people who have gallstones don’t have any pain at all. These are called “silent” gallstones. Your doctor may find these stones in your gallbladder from X-rays or performing surgery on your abdomen.

Some people do have gallstone symptoms. The most common symptom of gallstones is pain in the right upper quadrant of your abdomen. The pain often radiates to your back or right shoulder or shoulder blade.

Other symptoms include:

• fever
• a yellowish tint in your skin or eyes, which can indicate jaundice
• nausea or vomiting
• clay-colored stools

Stages of Gallbladder Disease

Extreme gallstone pain is known as a “gallbladder attack.” This extreme pain lasts more than one to two hours. Gallstones themselves don’t cause this pain. It occurs when the gallstones block the movement of bile from the gallbladder. This doesn’t usually happen overnight. Instead, there are three stages that lead to the attack.

• In stage 1, gallstones form in the gallbladder. Usually, there’s no pain in this stage.
• In stage 2, you start to experience gallbladder pain from time to time. You may notice this when you eat foods that are high in fat, such as fried foods. The pain doesn’t usually extend past a few hours. Other symptoms can include stomach pain, burping, diarrhea, nausea, and indigestion.
• In stage 3, a gallstone blocks the duct where bile moves from the gallbladder, a gallbladder attack occurs. This stage is a medical emergency. Symptoms can include intense stomach or back pain, fever, chills, or appetite loss.

Lifestyle Changes After Gallbladder Removal

Much like an appendix, a gallbladder isn’t necessary for a person to live a full and healthy life. However, you may have loose or watery stools after gallbladder removal.

This diarrhea occurs because removing a gallbladder involves rerouting the bile from the liver to the small intestine. Bile no longer goes through the gallbladder after surgery and it becomes less concentrated. The result is a laxative effect that causes diarrhea. If you eat a diet lower in fats, less bile will be released. 

Examples of dietary steps you can take include:

• Reduce your intake of fats. Choose low-fat foods whenever possible. Avoid high-fat, greasy, and fried foods.
• Add fiber to your diet. Extra fiber can make your bowel movements less liquid. Try to add only a serving of fiber at a time to prevent gas that can occur from eating excess fiber.
• Avoid foods and drinks known to cause diarrhea, such as caffeine, high-fat dairy products, and very sweet foods.
• Eat several small meals per day instead of large meals. Smaller meals are easier for the body to digest.

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Note:- This post is just for information purpose only. If you are one suffering with the same, kindly consult a Doctor. 

source:-www.healthline.com