On the right side, below the liver, there is the gallbladder, from which the greenish-yellow bile fluid is emptied through the bile duct into the small intestine to help digest the fats consumed with food. Many people think of gallstones, which cause cramping pain, when they think of bile.
There are several types of gallstones
About 80% of gallstones are cholesterol gallstones, and the remaining 20% are usually bilirubin or calcium stones. Bile produced by the liver is mainly composed of cholesterol and bile acids. The function of bile acids is to keep cholesterol in solution. If the concentration of cholesterol is too high or the concentration of bile acids is too low, cholesterol precipitates and cholesterol-containing gallstones form. Gallstones vary not only in their composition, but also in their color and size: from lighter to darker brown, from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a pigeon’s egg.
You should know that not all gallstones cause complaints. 75-80% of people have gallstones, but either they don’t know about it, or they find out about it “incidentally” during a medical examination (x-ray or ultrasound examination, etc.). These are the “silent gallstones”.
Warning signs of gallstones
Perceptible gallstone problems usually begin when the gallstone is located in such a way that it forms a barrier to the flow of bile. In this case, the first warning sign is pain around the gallbladder, i.e. gallstone colic or biliary spasm. Patients report severe, spasmodic pain under the right rib cage, which mainly radiates to the right shoulder.
It is important to observe when the complaint occurs: typically a short time after someone has consumed fatty, heavy food. In addition to the pain, nausea, vomiting, and belching may also occur, the urine may become darker in color, and the feces may be gray and clay-colored. People with gallstones often suffer from diarrhoea.a
You should see a doctor immediately if…
In a few percent of patients with gallstones, gallstones can cause infection or inflammation in the gallbladder. Strong pain in the gallbladder or radiating pain, fever, chills, jaundice, bloating, and vomiting can draw attention to this. This is a serious, life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention.
Dr. Lívia Budai
specialist pharmacist
The article was published in the April issue of Patika Magazin! Look for it every month in pharmacies!
Source: www.patikamagazin.hu
