Gallstones (cholelithiasis) is a chronic disease characterized by the appearance of one or more stones in the gallbladder or bile ducts. As you know, the gallbladder is involved in the production of bile, which helps digest food in the stomach. Bile itself consists of bilirubin and cholesterol. When, for whatever reason, bile stagnates in the gall bladder, cholesterol begins to accumulate and precipitate, from which small grains of sand begin to form. By themselves, these grains of sand do not pose a great danger, but only if in the future the gallbladder begins to function normally. If the cause of stagnation of bile has not been eliminated, grains of sand will gradually begin to increase in size. Merging with each other, they can form large stones that clog the bile ducts and prevent bile from entering the stomach. As a rule, the growth of stones takes place gradually, over a long time, of the order of 5-20 years. In order to prevent such a long development, it is necessary to identify the disease as early as possible and begin treatment of gallstones.
Why are stones formed? In a healthy person, the gallbladder works fine and stagnation of bile does not occur in it. But there are a number of factors that upset this balance and lead to the development of cholelithiasis. Such factors include an increase in cholesterol in bile during overeating, obesity, diabetes, metabolic disorders, etc. Stagnation of bile, and hence the appearance of stones, can occur with some other diseases, for example, flatulence, gallbladder infection , dyskinesia, and many others. Pregnant women are also susceptible to the development of cholelithiasis, since in the process of bearing a child a large amount of progesterone is produced, which relaxes the walls of the gallbladder and inhibits the outflow of bile.
Symptoms of the disease are usually pronounced. When the stone clogs the bile duct, there is a sharp pain in the right hypochondrium. Symptoms such as nausea, a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, a slight fever and bloating appear.
If any of the above signs appear, each person should definitely consult a doctor. Only after passing the tests and passing the study (and this is primarily ultrasound) can the presence or absence of the disease be detected.
Treatment of stones in the gallbladder is not always quick, since much depends on the course of the disease and the size of the stones themselves. As a rule, people seek help from a doctor only when pain becomes frequent and unbearable. Until that moment, they all suffer or do not even suspect the presence of stones in the gallbladder. There are three main ways to remove stones from the gallbladder: following a diet, dissolving stones under the influence of drugs, and surgically.
The diet for cholelithiasis must be observed by everyone who has this disease. It implies the exclusion of those foods that increase cholesterol. First of all, it is fatty meat, eggs, liver, sausage, as well as other fatty, smoked, salty and spicy foods. The patient's daily diet should consist of vegetables, fruits, dairy products and liquid cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal). In some cases, the treatment of stones in the gallbladder successfully ends with a diet alone. But this is rare, only if the stones are small. In other cases, you will have to resort to taking medications or surgery.
Treatment of gallstones with drugs can only take place under the strict supervision of a physician. They will also be prescribed the necessary drugs. If the medicine does not help, or the pain interferes with the normal life of a person, the stones are removed with a special device through small punctures in the area of the gallbladder. Sometimes ultrasound treatment is used, in which larger stones are crushed into smaller ones and removed from the gallbladder when taking medications.
It is possible to treat stones in the gall bladder with folk remedies. But, as always, this must be done carefully. For example, 30 minutes before a meal, you can drink a glass of sauerkraut juice. And so 3 times a day. Or, during the day, eat 2 cups of red mountain ash (can be mixed with sugar).