Your gallbladder is a small organ located on the right side of your abdomen and just below your liver. This organ is responsible for holding and releasing bile, a digestive fluid that’s released into your small intestine.
Gallstones are hardened digestive fluids that may build up in your gallbladder. They range from small, like a grain of sand, to large, like the size of a golf ball. You can have one gallstone or many gallstones at the same time. If you are experiencing any symptoms from gallstones, you may require gallbladder removal surgery.
Not all gallstones will cause signs or symptoms. If they don’t, there is usually no treatment required.
What Are the Symptoms of Gallstones?
Symptoms for gallstones are typically related to these stones blocking your bile ducts. The bile then builds up in the gallbladder, leading to a gallbladder attack, also known as biliary colic. Bile fluid buildup increases pressure in the gallbladder, which can sometimes lead to a rupture.
Symptoms of a gallbladder attack include:
- Abdominal pain: located in the upper right side or middle of the abdomen
- Abdominal tenderness
- Fever
- Nausea
- Pain after meals
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting
- Yellowing of the whites of your eyes
- Yellowing of the skin
The pain associated with a gallbladder attack starts suddenly. The pain can be a dull ache, sharp pain, or cramping. It will remain steady and can spread to the back—below the right shoulder blade. If you have gallbladder stones, it is common to have steady pain after meals. It is also possible to experience inflammation of the gallbladder due to gallstones; this is known as cholecystitis.
Symptoms of cholecystitis:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Clay-colored stools
- Yellowing of the whites of your eyes
- Yellowing of your skin
How Are Gallstones Diagnosed?
There are a number of tests available to diagnose gallstones, including the following.
- Lab tests: A sample of blood is taken and sent to a lab. The blood test can identify signs of inflammation or infection of the gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas, and/or liver.
- Imaging tests: These are pictures taken of the areas of concern. The tests are performed by a technician at your doctor’s office, outpatient center, or a hospital. The radiologist reviews the images and sends the images and a report to your doctor.
- Ultrasound: This imaging test is best for finding gallstones. It uses a transducer to bounce sound waves off your organs. These waves create a picture of their structure, and can spot gallstones within the gallbladder.
- CT scan: CT (computed tomography) scans use a combination of x-rays and computer technology to create pictures of the pancreas, gallbladder, and bile ducts. They can show gallstones in the gallbladder. They also show any complications like infections or blockage in the gallbladder or bile ducts.
- MRI: MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines use magnets combined with radio waves to create a detailed image of your organs. They are able to show gallstones in the ducts of the biliary tract.
- Cholescintigraphy: A safe radioactive material is injected into a vein in your arm. A special camera is used to produce images of your biliary tract with the help of the radioactive material. This procedure is used to see abnormal contractions of the gallbladder or to view any blockages in the bile ducts.
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): Uses a combination of the upper gastroendoscopy and x-rays to view the bile and pancreatic ducts. This set of tests can identify gallstones. However, due to its invasiveness, it is usually only used before gallstone removal.
Females tend to have a higher chance of having gallstones.
How can you get rid of gallstone?
Exercise and weight loss can help prevent the formation of gallstones in obese people. Those people should lose no more than one and a half kilograms a month, Mastrangelo said. Foods that increase the risk of diabetes or weight gain should be avoided.
Taking vitamin C also is associated with a decreased risk of having gallstones.
Three well-balanced meals a day also reduce the risk, he said.
That’s important because every time you eat, the gall bladder contracts, secreting bile through the bile ducts into the small intestine. That contraction empties the gallbladder of bile, so it’s less likely to become stagnant and super saturated.
Remedies other than surgery sometimes can cause more trouble and take longer.
Lithotripsy had been used to break up the stones into smaller pieces in the gall bladder, but that can lead to blockages of the bile ducts.
Some medications also can be used to dissolve the stones, but they sometimes can take years and might cause blockages from the smaller stones.
Most gallstones are present in people who don’t even know they have them. If they’re not causing you any trouble, there’s nothing you have to do about them. Only 15 percent of those people will become symptomatic.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones can be extremely painful and cause many people to visit the doctor for treatment.
Who is at risk?
Anyone may develop a kidney stone, but certain people are more susceptible to it. Stones are more common in men than in women and commonly develop in the age group of 20-49 years. In India, kidney stones are common in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan. In Karnataka, it is common in Coastal and Northern districts because of the hot weather.
What causes kidney stones?
Kidney stones form when there is a decrease in urine volume due to reduced fluid intake or an excess of stone forming minerals in the urine. Dehydration and reduced fluid intake, increases the precipitation of these minerals within the urinary system and increases the risk of formation of kidney stones. Climate may be a risk factor for kidney stone development, since residents of hot and dry areas are more likely to become dehydrated and susceptible to stone formation.
Obstruction of urine flow, infections, metabolic abnormalities, medical conditions like gout, hyperparathyroidism and some medications including some diuretics, calcium-containing antacids etc also predispose to stone formation.
Dietary practices may increase the risk of stone formation in susceptible individuals. These include high intake of animal protein, a high-salt diet, excessive vitamin D supplementation and excessive intake of oxalate-containing foods such as tomatoes and spinach.
What are the symptoms?
People who have kidney stones experience sudden onset of severe spasmodic pain in their back which often radiates to the groin. Those affected cannot lie down comfortably, and many writhe in pain. The pain is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It may also cause blood in the urine, discomfort in passing urine and fever with chills, if infection sets in. Some kidney stones may not produce symptoms, and may be incidentally detected during an ultrasound examination.
How are kidney stones diagnosed?
An ultrasound of the abdomen will help in diagnosing stones in most of the patients. Blood and urine tests and in certain cases, a CT scan may be required.
What is the treatment for kidney stones?
There are several factors which influence the spontaneous passage of a stone. These include the size and position of the stone. Any congenital or acquired abnormalities of the urinary system may hamper the passage of stones. Hence, treatment of kidney stones has to be individualized.
Treatment with analgesics may give symptomatic relief from pain. The patient is generally instructed to maintain a high fluid intake of 2 to 3 litres/day to help pass the stone. Other causes which predispose to stone formation require to be treated.
Current treatment options are ESWL (Lithotripsy) and endoscopic procedures like Ureteroscopy (URS), Retrograde IntraRenal Surgery (RIRS) and Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Treatment is decided according to size, location of the stone etc.
How to prevent kidney stones?
Increase of fluid intake to 2-3 litres/day, especially during summer and increased intake of citrus fruits like lemon and orange is recommended. Dietary changes include salt restriction and eating less of meat, fish and poultry.
Avoiding large portions of spinach, beet, tomatoes, nuts and chocolates is advisable. Hence, with these lifestyle changes, it would be possible to avoid kidney stones in the first place, rather than having to undergo treatment for it.
