Surely you have heard before about people who removed the gallbladder because of problems with it? Will gallstones cause great problems to be removed? Get to know Symptoms of gallstones And the reasons for their formation and treatment, and also when they must be surgically removed.

What is gallstones gallstones?

The function of the gallbladder is to store and secrete bile that helps digestion, and this juice can also carry cholesterol and bilirubin, and these substances can accumulate and form gallstones, which are solid and metallic pieces. Gallstone size From as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball.

There are two types of gallstones:

• Cholesterol stones, which are the most common type in 80% of infected people, are usually yellowish green in color.
• Bilirubin stones are usually smaller and darker in color.

Symptoms of gallstones

It is possible for any person to have gallstones without knowing because they usually do not show clear symptoms, and it can remain so for a long time until the stones block the bile duct and it is possible that gallbladder infections occur, which makes them cause these symptoms:

• Sharp and sudden pain in the abdomen, which usually lasts from 1 to 5 hours, and is called this pain biliary colic;.
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and yellowing of the eyes).
• High temperature.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Dark urine color.
• diarrhea.
• burping
• Indigestion.

The patient usually feels these symptoms more after eating a fatty meal rich in fats or fried foods.

Gallstones causes and risk factors

As we mentioned, the main causes of gallstones are not clear and can occur due to increased secretion and accumulation of cholesterol or bilirubin, and risk factors that can increase the risk of gallstones symptoms include:

• Persons over 40 years old.
• Women are more susceptible than men.
• Overweight or obesity.
• pregnancy.
• Excessive consumption of fatty foods and foods rich in cholesterol.
• Low intake of natural fiber.
• Having a family history of gallstones.
• Diabetes.
• Having some blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia or leukemia.
• Lose weight quickly.
• Take medications that contain estrogen, such as birth control pills.
• Having liver disease.

Complications of gallstones

As we mentioned, gallstones can cause complications. If symptoms of gallstones appear in the form of jaundice, fever, chills, persistent pain, and a change in urine color, then you should visit a doctor immediately because they may be signs of:

Diagnosis of gallstones

If you go to the doctor and you are complaining of pain, he will also check for other symptoms of gallstones, which include changes in skin color and yellowness. He will also ask you about other symptoms in the digestive system, and he may order some other tests to make sure the presence of stones, including:

gallbladder stones treatment

If you do not have symptoms of gallstones, it may not require prescribing any treatment for it. However, if symptoms appear and affect your daily life, such as feeling mild, non-recurring pain, the doctor may prescribe some pain relievers for you along with adjusting your diet. To live with gallstones.

Some people feel more troublesome symptoms such as diarrhea or gas after eating fatty or spicy meals. If you are one of these people, we advise you to avoid these foods because they stimulate the onset of symptoms.

The doctor can also follow another method in the case of small stones. This method relies on the use of drugs that help dissolve cholesterol stones, with the use of sound waves from outside the body that work on Breaking up gallstones They become smaller to pass through the bile duct, but it is possible for stones to form again after this treatment.

When does the doctor resort to gallbladder removal surgery?

In the event that the symptoms of gallstones become unbearable, such as severe pain or jaundice, surgery must be resorted to. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy You can go home the same day, and fortunately this process is simple and the gallbladder is a non-essential organ for maintaining a healthy life.

Sometimes the doctor may resort to making a surgical incision to remove the gallbladder in case of severe cholecystitis or in the case of larger complications that require complete surgical intervention, but you should not be concerned about that and you can consult the doctor about your concerns and he will answer your questions.