A Little on Gallstones

This blog post is about another very common condition. I give a brief description in this post, but I’ll get into more detail here.

I’m going to be talking about Gallstones and bile.

First, I’ll talk about what bile is. The liver makes a fluid called bile that contains bile pigments, bile salts, cholesterol and lecithin. The body needs bile because it’s a helping hand for digesting fats. The liquid passes through the bile ducts and there is more then one, but bile will always go to the main bile duct. That’s when the bile will enter to the rest of the organs in the digestive tract.

Gallstones are small, stone-like things that form when bile that passes through becomes very hard in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is located in the upper right abdomen below the liver. The sizes the “stones” can vary as small as a grain of salt to the size of a golf ball.

I already said that gallstones are formed when bile gets hard in the gallbladder, but there is more to it. Gallstones can be made if there is too much cholesterol or not enough bile salt. The condition will not be the same for everyone, so it really depends on the state of your liver and gallbladder.

There is a condition where you could have silent gallstones or asymptomatic, where you can experience no symptoms. The function of the gallbladder, liver or pancreas is not affected during the time.

Woman are known to develop gallstones more often then men because estrogen increases cholesterol levels in bile. Woman who is pregnancy, had hormone replacement therapy or takes birth control pills produces more estrogen.

People who over 40 and if you have family history of gallstone are also a risk. American Indians and Mexican Americans both have also have a higher risk of this condition.

Other reason you could have the “stones” is obesity, extreme weight loss and having a diet that is high in calories with carbohydrates and lower fiber levels. Having Crohn’s disease or other intestinal diseases can produce gallstones. People who have metabolic syndrome, diabetes and insulin resistance can also produce the "stones." 

To treat, most treatments is not need all the time. Leaving gallstones alone is the best way, but it’s good to avoid foods with a lot of fat. There is a diet sheet you can follow if effected.

If the “stones” blocks your bile duct, then the fluid can build and cause a lot of problems for you. Surgery is the best move if you are having serious problems because you need to get the “stones” removed. Remembers there is a lot of people who get this condition, so the surgery is a common procedure.