Have you experienced a high fever, yellowing of your skin or eyes, or intense abdominal pain? Then you may want to talk to your doctor about gallstones. Gallstones are made up of hardened deposits of your digestive fluid that form in the gallbladder. A small and pear-shaped organ, the gallbladder is located beneath the liver and contains bile that is released into the small intestine. Ranging in size, gallstones can become as large as golf balls and as small as a grain of sand. You can also develop more than one gallstone, and sometimes not even experience any symptoms. Those who experience symptoms may require surgery.
What are the symptoms of gallstones? What causes them?
You may experience sudden or intense pain in the upper right or center of your abdomen, back pain between the shoulder blades, pain in the right shoulder, and nausea or vomiting if you have untreated gallstones. While it is not clear what causes gallstones, many think that they may be linked to too much cholesterol or bilirubin in your bile, or if the gallbladder does not empty correctly. There are two types of gallstones, cholesterol gallstones and pigment gallstones. Cholesterol gallstones are the most common type and consists mainly of cholesterol and are yellow in color. Pigment gallstones are black or dark brown in color and occur when the bile contains an excessive amount of bilirubin. Certain risk factors for developing gallstones include being overweight, being pregnant, eating a diet high in fat and cholesterol, having diabetes, having liver disease, losing weight quickly, or having certain blood disorders.
How can you prevent and treat gallstones?
To prevent gallstones, you may want to talk to your doctor about your diet, and they may recommend weight loss and exercise or eating more high fiber foods. You may also want to avoid skipping meals and if you need to lose weight, aim for 1 to 2 pounds a week, as rapid weight loss can increase your risk. To diagnose gallstones, you may be required to undergo an abdominal ultrasound, an endoscopic ultrasound, or other imaging tests. Your doctor may also order blood tests to check for jaundice, pancreatitis, or other complications. Treatment for gallstones can sometimes involve surgery and medication. However, medications that dissolve gallstones are not commonly used. Your doctor may recommend a surgery that will remove your gallbladder, as this does not affect your ability to digest food and can both treat and prevent gallstones. The majority of patients with gallstones will not require treatment, as many people do not experience symptoms or complications.
Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of complications of gallstones. The specialists at Granite State Gastro can help you come up with the right treatment plan.