Gallbladder Disease - What Can You Do About the Pain?

Bile diseases:

Gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ about 8cm. in a size that is located below the liver and holds bile, removes water, and lowers the pH to less than 7, making it slightly acidic. The main purpose is to help with fat burning.

Bile disease is a very common and often painful condition in many cases requiring surgery and can be life threatening. However, since bile is actually produced by the liver, bile is not essential for survival and removal of organs may not have a major adverse effect on your life.

Causes of Gallbladder's disease:

Bile problems are usually caused by bile stones (cholelithiasis). Bile stones are composed of cholesterol and calcium bilirubate deposits that cause inflammation. The stone may occur when Gallbladder has been somewhat inactive for such periods as before; pregnancy, celiac disease, diabetes, cirrhosis, pancreatitis, obesity, as a surgical complication or through the use of hormone contraceptives.

Other Gallbladder Terms include; Choledochollithiasis or bile duct stones, Cholangitis which is a bile duct infection, Cholecystitis which is usually caused by bile stones and cholesterolosis which affects as polyps or crystals.

Signs and Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease:

Symptoms are not always present, but classic attacks suggest acute or intermittent acute abdominal pain, which may radiate to the back, shoulders or front of the chest. Attacks often occur after eating fats or at night during sleep and can become so severe that the patient will go to the hospital for help.

Other symptoms include; abdominal pain, constipation, belching, bloating, nausea, vomiting, chills, bad breath, bad stools, fever, abdominal bleeding and jaundice.

Gallbladder Disease Diagnosis:

Bile infections can be similar to other diseases such as heart attack, pancreatitis, angina, peptic ulcer, esophagitis, cancer or even pneumonia so the correct diagnosis is important. X-Rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, oral cholecystography and Echography are used to detect corals. Bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels support the diagnosis. White blood cell levels may be quite high, and serum amylase levels are used to distinguish bile ducts from pancreatitis.

Gallbladder Tent Disease Treatment:

Elimination of bile surgeries in the form, whether open cholecystectomy or laparoscopic colectomyectomy is usually the treatment of choice even if there are only a few stones, electrohydraulic lithotripsy shock waves in conjunction with ursodeoxycholic acid administration to help dissolve the stones may try to break the stone.

Fluoroscopic guided endoscopy in which the basket is used to trap rocks and remove them through a catheter can also be tested if needed. In patients at risk for poor surgery Chenodeoxycholic acid to dissolve stones is an alternative.

A diet consisting of a few small, low-carb, high protein, low-fat, non-spicy foods a day is recommended. Vitamin K supplements are recommended.

Prognosis is usually good but it is common to experience some post-operative symptoms such as pain, nausea, diarrhea, bloating and heartburn. Painkillers like Aspirin, Codeine, cell signaling products and Powerstrips may be needed.

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