Cholelithiasis, or cholelithiasis, is a rather unpleasant disease that causes a lot of inconvenience to the patient. In the absence of proper treatment, cholelithiasis threatens with serious complications up to death. It is extremely important to conduct timely diagnostics and prevent the formation of stones. There are many ways to remove stones from the gallbladder. Patient reviews indicate the high efficiency of both the drug and the surgical method of treatment.
Sometimes gallstone disease does not manifest itself for a long time. The patient can learn about its existence only after an ultrasound scan. Until recently, cholelithiasis was considered the lot of the elderly, but recently, this disease has become significantly younger. And now the average age of patients is about 40 years. Various methods are used to treat cholelithiasis. All of them are quite effective and reliable.
Causes of ZhKB
Stones appear as a result of stagnant phenomena resulting from a poor outflow of bile. High cholesterol does not allow her to make the necessary movement. Subsequently, crystalline monohydrate settles, which gradually increases and condenses. Ultimately, the crystals cannot exit the gallbladder and remain at the bottom of the organ, forming polyps.
As scientists have proved, the following factors influence the process of stone formation:
- Frequent inflammatory processes.
- Excess of cholesterol.
- Age-related changes that negatively affect the ability of the gallbladder to produce contractions.
Due to the long presence of stones, the mucous membrane is injured, which ultimately leads to an extremely unpleasant disease - calculous cholecystitis. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify the disease in time and immediately begin to treat it.
What are they made of?
Bile contains various substances of organic origin. Some of them are constantly at the bottom of the bubble in the form of sediment, thus forming calculus stones. In their composition, they are cholesterol, pigmented, complex and mixed.
- Lime stones are composed of calcium, deflated epithelium, bacteria and cholesterol. They are formed as a result of gallbladder inflammation.
- Bilirubin is otherwise called pigmented. As a rule, they do not cause anxiety to patients, and the reason for their appearance is a change in the composition of the blood.
- The greatest danger are mixed calculi. This layered neoplasm often causes inflammation, accompanied by acute pain.
- Cholesterol stones are oval or rounded. They grow quite quickly, adding up to 5 mm every twelve months. Their size sometimes reaches several centimeters. These stones contain 95% cholesterol and 5% bilirubin compounds.
Stones differ among themselves not only in appearance and composition. They have different places of formation. For example, brown formations are found only in the bile ducts, and black and cholesterol in the bladder itself. The most common cholesterol stones. They form extremely slowly. Sometimes it takes 20-25 years to form them.
Who is at risk
Most often ZhKB are ill women. Doctors explain this by frequent birth and taking hormonal drugs. And also the most favorable conditions for the appearance of calculi are:
- Surgery to cross the vagus nerve, as well as the removal of the lower part of the ileum.
- Sharp fluctuations in weight.
- A lack of fiber in your daily diet.
- Cool climate.
- Certain drugs can provoke the appearance of stones: Octreotide, Cyclosporin, and others.
- In some cases, cholelithiasis is inherited. Therefore, if one of the parents had cholelithiasis, you should be careful and undergo an ultrasound examination every two years.
- People with diabetes and cirrhosis are also at risk.
Excessive consumption of fried, smoked and salty foods adversely affects health and provokes the appearance of cholelithiasis. Harmful to the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and constant stress.
Symptoms of the disease
Often, calculi are found in patients completely by accident. Very often, people simply do not know about their presence in the gallbladder. This insidious disease does not manifest itself for a long time, and the first symptoms occur only when the stone begins its upward movement. There is a blockage of the duct, which, in turn, causes severe pain.
The inflammatory process is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- A sharp increase in temperature, which is accompanied by chills, sweating.
- A sharp pain appears in the right side.
- There is a taste of metal in the mouth.
- Bile enters the stomach and vomits the patient with bitterness.
- His appetite worsens and weakness appears.
Blocking the flow can cause extremely unpleasant symptoms of the disease. Doctors call this "obstructive jaundice." It is accompanied by a change in the color of urine and feces. The skin of the hands begins to itch, and the membranes of the eyes turn yellow.
Diagnosis of diseases
At the first signs of cholelithiasis, you should consult a gastroenterologist. Based on complaints, the doctor directs the patient for examination. An abdominal ultrasound is done and, if necessary, an X-ray examination. A special substance is injected intravenously, with the help of which it is possible to detect the presence of stones. Sometimes the patient is injected with the drug directly into the bile ducts. Thanks to this procedure, you can remove some small stones. For input, a long thin needle and an endoscope are used.
How to get rid of stones
For this, surgical and therapeutic methods are used.
The surgical method involves the following options:
- Large stones are crushed and come out.
- Organ removal along with calculi.
- Invasive excretion.
In an acute attack of cholelithiasis, the doctor prescribes an emergency operation. Therefore, only by identifying the disease at the initial stage, surgical intervention can be avoided. Patients are often interested in: through what do gallstones exit? Small formations no larger than one centimeter in size, calmly pass through the bile duct and enter the intestines, after which they mix with feces and go outside.
Treatment methods
In the chronic stage of gallstone disease, it is possible to use the following methods.
- Stones can be dissolved with acids.
- There are medicines that can get rid of an unpleasant disease.
- Laser or ultrasonic grinding of formations has proven itself perfectly.
- A patient may be prescribed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
- Surgical intervention.
Treatment with ultrasound or laser has been used for quite some time. The procedure is as follows: the calculus is affected by a powerful laser stream, which leads to their crushing with subsequent output. It should be noted that the stone leaves the gallbladder duct a little painfully, and the patient will feel discomfort for some time.
Drug treatment takes a long time and does not always end in success. Typically, the following medications are used: Ursosan, Ursofalk, Holosas, and Allohol. Medication has its contraindications. It is forbidden to use for people with kidney and liver failure. And also this method of treatment is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.
In contact cholelitolysis, a catheter is inserted into the gallbladder and methyl tert-butyl ether is introduced through it. This treatment method gives a 90% guarantee of getting rid of stones.
Often patients ask: can stones from the gallbladder escape on their own using folk remedies? On the Internet you can find a lot of reviews and recommendations about such treatment. Doctors are extremely negative about all kinds of "cleansing the body" and do not recommend experimenting with their own health.
What is the danger of this disease?
ZhKB is insidious with its complications. Most often, it becomes the cause of the following diseases:
- Inflammation of the liver.
- Cholecystitis in the acute stage of the disease.
- Pancreatitis
- Bowel obstruction due to pressure sores of the walls of the bladder.
- Inflammation in the bile duct.
All of these diseases are extremely unpleasant and in the absence of proper treatment can lead to death.
Prevention and Nutrition
There are products that can remove excess cholesterol from the body, and, therefore, prevent the formation of calculi. These include fermented milk products and whole milk. As well as buckwheat and oatmeal, green tea. Doctors urge you not to ignore breakfast.
Like any other disease, cholelithiasis is easier to prevent than to cure. People who already have stones are advised to exclude meat and fish smoked meats, onions, garlic, chocolate, butter from the daily menu. And also minimize the consumption of vinegar, hot pepper and fried meat, which contains a huge amount of cholesterol. During an exacerbation of the disease, it is forbidden to take alcohol.
Why surgery is undesirable
Removal of any organ leads to changes in the biochemical chain. After surgery, bile becomes more fluid and freely penetrates the stomach. And this, in turn, leads to inflammation of the mucosa and the appearance of ulcers. Unfortunately, removing the gallbladder does not solve the problem. Stones can also form freely in the bile ducts.
Therefore, doctors resort to surgery only in extreme cases. Even after it, the patient has a metallic taste in the mouth, pain in the right side and other symptoms of cholelithiasis. In addition, stones from the gallbladder can themselves come out with the help of medications.
Movement of stones
This process can cause hot water in the bathroom, starvation, sports or work-related injuries. Salted food also affects the movement of formations.
If a stone comes out of the gallbladder, what to do in such cases? With medical treatment, the doctor should consult his patient in advance. He must explain where the stones from the gall bladder go. After all, as soon as he begins to go out, the patient will feel severe pain on the right side and can panic. In order not to complicate the situation, you should take the appropriate drugs and lie down. When the temperature appears, immediately call an ambulance.
Patient Reviews
In their reviews, people often share the method of getting rid of stones. Many of them do not know if gallstones can escape. Their presence does not cause concern until they begin to rub against the walls of the bubble. Very often this process is accompanied by temperature and acute pain.
As a result, the patient is on the operating table. As patients of gastroenterologists say, operations are usually successful and within five days the patient is discharged from the hospital. The doctor removes postoperative sutures in the clinic where the patient is observed.
With medical treatment, many of them observe how stones exit the gallbladder. According to the description, they have a greenish tint and a rounded shape. Very often, women confuse the first symptoms of cholelithiasis with painful periods and are in no hurry to consult a doctor. Therefore, they are often sent to a gastroenterologist by a gynecologist. Often patients doubt whether the stones exit the gallbladder themselves, and agree to an operation to remove the gallbladder.
The drug "Urolesan" and its analogues are well proven. It is prescribed for small polyps. As patients say, with its help you can avoid surgery, as well as see how the stones come out of the gallbladder. Take Urolesana tablets three per day for three months. The course of treatment is held annually until complete recovery. Along with treatment, they adhere to a special diet. Before medication, the attending physician should tell you how the stones come out of the gallbladder. Symptoms and photos of stones, for clarity, have been described and presented in this article.