Gallbladder attacks - Causes and Symptoms of Gallstones

What is Gallbladder :

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ just below the liver and stores the bile, which is a watery liquid made by the cells of the liver that is important for digesting food in the intestine, particularly fat, secreted by the liver. Liver cells secrete the bile they make into small canals within the liver. The bile flows through the canals and into larger collecting ducts within the liver.



Function of Gallbladder :

The gallbladder has liquid called bile which helps in the digestion process. This bile is made of fats, salts, water, cholesterol, proteins and bilirubin and is stored in the gallbladder for the body to use when required for the digesting food, particularly fats. The gallbladder contracts and pushes the bile into a tube, called the common bile duct and that carries it to the small intestine, where it helps with digestion.



What are Gallstones :

Gallstones are small and pebble like mass develops in Gallbladder. Gallstones form when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material



Types of Gallstones :

There are two types of gall stones. 1) Cholesterol Gall Stones and 2) Pigment Gall Stones. Cholesterol Gall stones are composed mainly of cholesterol which is made in the liver. 80% of the cases are Cholesterol Gall stones only. Pigment gallstones are composed of calcium salts, bilirubin and other material.



Gallstones formation :

Gallstones form when bile hardens in the gallbladder. These gallbladder stones are formed when there is imbalance in the content of the bile juice. The bile consists of bile acids, cholesterol, bilirubin, etc. When there is excess of cholesterol or bilirubin, these stones are formed.



The bile contains chemicals to dissolve the cholesterol, but when there is excess cholesterol, it forms crystals and becomes a stone.



Similarly, when there is excess bilirubin, Pigment stones are formed



Other causes of Gallstone formation :

• Persons eat a diet high in cholesterol

• Persons with a family history of gallstones

• Pregnant women

• Older persons

• People who are overweight

• Persons with diseases of the small intestine

• Persons who have recently lost weight.

• Persons taking birth control pills



Symptoms of Gallstones :

Severe and intermittent pain in the right upper abdomen. This pain can also spread to the chest, shoulders or back. Sometimes this pain may be mistaken for a heart attack.



Effects of Gallstones :

As formed gallstones move into the bile ducts and create blockage, due to which pressure increases in the gallbladder ,which is often called a gallbladder "attack” because they occur suddenly. Gallbladder attacks often follow fatty meals, and they may occur during the night. This gallbladder attack can cause.

• steady pain in the right upper abdomen that increases rapidly and lasts from 30 minutes to several hours

• pain in the back between the shoulder blades

• pain under the right shoulder

How Gallstones diagnosed :

Nearly all gallstones can be easily identified by an ultrasound examination to create pictures of the gall-bladder, bile ducts and its contents.



Regular treatment for removal of Gallstones :

If you have gallstones without symptoms, you do not require any treatment. If you are having frequent gallbladder attacks, your doctor may recommend for your gallbladder removal with an operation called a cholecystectomy.



What happens if gallbladder is removed:

The people can live without gallbladder also. The process of digestion by using bile will continue without gallbladder also. Once the gallbladder is removed, bile flows out of the liver through the hepatic ducts into the common bile duct and directly into the small intestine, instead of being stored in the gallbladder.



How to avoid formation of Gallstones:

By changing your diet, the formation of gallstones can be avoided



Food to avoid :

• fast foods

• oily foods

• spicy foods

• red meats

• eggs

• pork

• onions

• fowl

• milk

• corn

• beans and nuts.



Recommended food to avoid formation of Gallstones :

• Apples

• Beets

• Barley

• Carrots

• Grapefruit

• Lemons

• Garlic

• Watermelon

• Mustard greens

• Fennel

Get more health tips from .. http://www.primeheal.com