What are Gallstones?
So you been seen in the outpatients and it turns out that you have Gallstones. But what exactly ARE Gallstones and how are they treated?
First of all, gallstones are very common in the general proportion with 1 in 10 adults in the UK developing them. However, for the majority of people with gallstones, they cause no problems whatsoever. It may be the case that you have gallstones and don’t realise as they aren’t causing you any problems. If that is the case they can be left and nothing needs doing about them.
However, for some people gallstones do cause problems and it is worth thinking about removing your gall bladder along with the gallstones if this is the case.
What Causes Gallstones?
Gallstones are most commonly caused an imbalance in the chemical make-up of bile inside the gallbladder. High levels of cholesterol may not be able to processed correctly and excess cholesterol can form into gallstones. This is why it is very important to limit the amount of fatty and high cholesterol foods you are intaking to reduce the risks of developing gallstones. Along with being obese, women and those aged over 40 years are also at an increased risk of developing gallstones.
When you eat food it gets into your stomach and into your small bowel and particularly fat element of foods tell your body to release bile from the Liver and from the gall bladder. If you have gallstones, when the gall bladder releases the bile it crunches on those gallstones causing pain.
What Problems Do Gallstones Cause?
If you feel any pain whenever you eat rich and fatty foods then it may be worth contacting us to investigate whether gallstones are the issue and whether thinking having your gall bladder with the gallstones removed.
Additionally, if you have a fever, shakes/shivers, and “going yellow” are all important and may be signs of complications of the gallstones that need urgent medical attention.
Along with a certain amount of pain and discomfort, there are other more serious complications of gallstones. Often the gall bladder with the gallstones can get irritated by the constant rubbing of the stones that can cause infection or inflammation which may require hospital admission and intravenous antibiotics due to sepsis. On these occasions, it is very important to consider having your gall bladder removed. Sometimes some Gallstones can slip out of the gall bladder and block the bile duct this means your body can’t drain the Bile from the liver to the to the gut. This can lead to yellow jaundice and you can sustain severe infection or sepsis which can be life-threatening. On these occasions, once the blockage is cleared, it is extremely important to have your gall bladder removed.
Other things that can happen is that small stones can slip out of the gall bladder which will cause inflammation of the pancreas in a condition called pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a life-threatening condition. In this situation, it is very important to consider having your gall bladder removed.
If you are concerned about gallstones and any pain or discomfort you may have, our team will be more than happy to help and investigate your symptoms further. Please email us at [email protected] or enquire online to learn more.