Gallstones: drugs, symptoms, causes, overcoming • hello healthy

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Definition

Gallstones are hardened lumps of digestive fluid that form in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is an organ that functions to help the body digest fat by storing and releasing bile into the small intestine.

There are two types of gallstones, including:

• cholesterol stones, The most common type of gallstones, often referred to as cholesterol stones because they appear yellowish in color, consists of a collection of cholesterol and several other indigestible compounds, and
• pigment stones, dark brown and black because they contain excess bilirubin.

The size of the stones in the gallbladder varies from person to person. Some people may have gallstones that are only the size of a grain of sand, while others can be as large as a golf ball.

The number of stones formed can vary, some have only one stone, some have a larger number of stones.

The presence of rocks that build up in the gallbladder can be painful and will lead to complications if not treated immediately.

How common is this disease?

Gallstone disease is a disease that often occurs. This condition is usually experienced by the elderly, women, and people who are overweight (obese).

Women are more susceptible to this disease because of the influence of the hormone estrogen. The greater amount of the hormone estrogen in women can increase the amount of cholesterol in the bile, thereby decreasing the contraction of the gallbladder to empty the bile.

In many cases, this disease is more common in Native Americans and Mexicans in Latin America. Even so, there are several risk factors that might increase your risk of getting this disease even though they don't come from that region.

You can avoid this disease by reducing the existing risk factors. Please consult a doctor for more information.

Signs and symptoms

Most cases of gallstone formation show no characteristic symptoms. New symptoms will appear if the size of the gallstones is large enough to block the gallbladder duct or other digestive system.

The symptoms of gallstone pain vary widely. However, generally people who get this disease will experience symptoms such as:

• sudden and persistent pain in the right upper abdomen,
• stomach pain like an ulcer in the lower center of the sternum,
• back pain between the shoulder blades,
• pain in the right shoulder,
• fever,
• Chapter putty, white or pale, as well
• nausea and vomiting.

Symptoms of pain due to this one disease can last for several minutes to hours. Usually symptoms appear after you eat foods with high fat content.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, do not hesitate to consult your doctor.

The doctor will perform tests to find out the cause and confirm the diagnosis. That way, the doctor will find out the best treatment according to your condition.

When to see a doctor?

You should call your doctor if you experience:

• severe and persistent abdominal pain that makes you unable to sit up, or even go about your daily activities,
• yellow body or eyes,
• high fever or chills, as well
• decreased appetite.

When the above signs have occurred, consult your doctor immediately. Also keep in mind, each person's body is different, so the reaction to a disease is different.

Always be aware of any changes you feel and don't hesitate to go to the doctor.

Causes and risk factors

What causes gallstones?

Gallstones are a condition with no known cause. However, doctors state that there are several factors at play, including the following.

Your gallbladder contains excess cholesterol

Usually, the gallbladder contains enough ingredients to break down cholesterol that is excreted from the liver.

However, if the liver excretes more cholesterol than the gallbladder can break down, the cholesterol will crystallize and become stones in the gallbladder.

Bile contains excess bilirubin

Bilirubin is the content of the breakdown of red blood cells. Some diseases cause the liver to produce more bilirubin.

enyakit such as cirrhosis and biliary infection. Excess bilirubin can cause gallstones.

The gallbladder cannot empty completely

The gallbladder should empty the bile naturally and gradually. However, some people cannot empty the gallbladder properly.

As a result, the bile becomes more concentrated, hardens, and forms rock.

What increases your risk of developing gallstone disease?

Some of the factors that can increase your risk of developing gallstones are as follows.

• Are over 40 years of age.
• Experiencing obesity or being overweight (overweight).
• Is pregnant.
• Eating too many foods high in fat, high in cholesterol and low in fiber.
• Have family members, such as parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandmothers with a history of this disease.
• Have certain medical conditions such as diabetes or cirrhosis of the liver.
• Take cholesterol-lowering drugs, medications containing estrogen, or certain antibiotics used to treat infections.
• Experience drastic weight loss.
• Not actively moving.
• Female.

Diagnosis and treatment

What are the usual tests for this disease?

The doctor will first take a medical history, perform a physical examination, and recommend that you undergo a urine test. Check with x-ray or ultrasound also can be done if needed.

Ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) scan The abdominal area is the best test to view the image of the gallbladder and to detect other diseases that can cause symptoms similar to those of gallstone disease.

The doctor may also perform an examination of the bile duct by performing an examination Hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or endoscopy retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

What are the treatment options for gallstones?

Gallstones that do not cause symptoms do not require therapy. However, it still requires close supervision.

If you have a history of diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure in the liver (portal hypertension), or cirrhosis of the liver, your doctor may recommend medication.

Certain medical conditions can increase your risk of complications if your gallstones are not treated properly.

Here are some remedies to relieve gallstone symptoms.

1. Bile acid drugs

If the symptoms are not too severe and the crystals that have formed in the bile are not very large, then medication can help. One of them is bile acid drugs.

Bile acid drugs contain certain chemicals, such as ursodiol or chenodiol, which have been shown to dissolve gallstones. This medication is available as an oral bile acid pill.

Bile acid drugs work to erode the stones so that they break and dissolve over time. Before the doctor decides on further treatment, he will advise you to wait and watch for changes in gallstone symptoms.

2. MTBE injection

This one treatment option involves injecting a solvent known as methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE). The solvent will be injected into the gallbladder to dissolve the gallstones.

However, just like other medical procedures, injection MTBE also has some side effects. Even the most serious side effects can cause severe burning.

3. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotrips (ESWL) Therapy

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotrips (ESWL) is a treatment option for kidney stones. However, ESWL therapy can also be used for other gallstone sufferers without surgery.

This therapy is most effective if the solitary gallstone is less than 2 centimeters in diameter.

The goal of this treatment is to break up or destroy gallstones by sending a shock wave through the soft tissues of the body.

4.Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP)

Blockage due to stones in the bile duct can be treated with the Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography (ERCP) procedure.

This procedure aims to remove gallstones without removing the gallbladder for those whose condition is not strong enough to undergo the surgical procedure.

5. Operation

Surgery is usually the best choice if the various methods above do not improve your condition and the gallstone symptoms you are experiencing tend to be serious.

Usually this one medical procedure is recommended if the gallstones keep coming back. If your gallbladder is removed, bile will flow directly from your liver to your small intestine.

The surgical method most doctors use to remove the gallbladder is laparoscopic cholecystectomy, aka keyhole surgery.

This procedure will not involve a large incision. The doctor will only make one small incision around the navel and two or three other incisions of a smaller size to the right of the abdomen.

Even so, this operation still requires general anesthesia, so you will not be conscious during the procedure.

If you have gallstone surgery?

You don't need to worry when you want to have your gall bladder removed. Gallbladder removal will not affect your day-to-day condition.

The gallbladder is not one of the most important organs you have to have in order to survive.

It should be understood that everyone has different conditions. Therefore, always consult your doctor to determine the best treatment option according to your condition.

Prevention

There are several things you can do to reduce your risk of developing gallstones, these are among them.

Don't delay eating

Try to try to eat on time. Postponing or even skipping meals can increase your risk of developing this disease.

Lose weight slowly

If you are overweight or obese, try to lose weight to reach your ideal weight.

Keep in mind that the weight loss you do must be balanced with exercise and proper food intake.

Do not choose an instant method using fake diet drugs that are widely sold in the market. In addition to not being guaranteed its safety, the use of fake diet drugs will also increase your risk of getting other diseases.

Watch your food intake

Gallstone disease can be prevented by eating foods high in fiber, such as fruits and vegetables.

Then, avoid foods that trigger gallstones to form such as fatty foods. Maintaining body weight by following a healthy diet can also reduce the risk of this disease.

Get regular exercise

Regular exercise plays an important role in maintaining your overall health, including to avoid this disease.

As mentioned above, obesity is a risk factor for gallstones.

By increasing physical activity and doing regular exercise, your risk of obesity will decrease. This in turn also lowers your risk of developing gallstones.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.