Kidney stones small, hard, abnormal mass composed chiefly of cholesterol, calcium salts, and bile pigments, formed in the gallbladder or in the bile duct. Gallstones can form when there is an imbalance in the substances that make up bile. Gallstones are more common among women and older people.
Types of gallbladder stones:
Cholesterol stones may develop as a result of too much cholesterol in the bile. Another cause may be the inability of the gallbladder to empty properly. Usually yellow-green in color, approximately 80% of gallstones are cholesterol stones.
Pigment stones are more common in people with certain medical conditions, such as cirrhosis (a liver disease in which scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue) or blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia. These stones are smaller and darker and are made up of bilirubin.
Causative factors for gallbladder stones
Several factors may come together to create gallstones, including:
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Genetics factors- Family history of gallstones are increased risk of developing gallstones.
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Obesity is one of the biggest risk factors. Obesity can cause a rise in cholesterol and can also keep the gallbladder from emptying completely.
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Some cholesterol-lowering drugs increase the amount of cholesterol in bile, which may increase the chances of developing cholesterol stones.
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Estrogen can increase cholesterol and decreased motility of the gallbladder. Women who are pregnant or who take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy have higher levels of estrogen and may be more likely to develop gallstones.
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Diabetes tend to have higher levels of triglycerides, which is a risk factor for gallstones.
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Rapid weight loss causes liver secretes extra cholesterol, it may lead to gallstones. Also, fasting may cause the gallbladder to contract less.
Symptoms
Gallstone attacks often occur after eating a meal and especially fatty person. Symptoms are
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Pain in the upper abdomen and upper back. The pain may last for several hours. In most cases, this causes abdominal pain, although some people also experience other symptoms if the blockage is more severe or a blockage develops in another part of the digestive system.
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Nausea and Vomiting
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Bloating of abdomen
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Belching’s
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Other gastrointestinal problems, including bloating, indigestion and heartburn, and gas
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70-80% of people with gallstones never know they have them and no symptoms. These are called “silent gallstones”.
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Gallstone attacks often occur after eating a meal and especially fatty person.
Small number of people, gallstones can cause more serious problems if they obstruct the flow of bile for longer periods or move into other organs (such as the pancreas or small bowel).
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High temperature
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More persistent abdominal pain
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A rapid heartbeat
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Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
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Itching of the skin
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Diarrhoea
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Chills or rigors
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Confusion of mind
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Loss of appetite
How to diagnose gallbladder stones?
The diagnosis of gallstones is to verify that abdominal pain is caused by stones and not by some other condition. Ultrasound or other imaging techniques can usually detect gallstones. Gallstone attacks often occur after eating a meal and especially fatty person. Symptoms can include pain for up to several hours in the upper, back, or under the right shoulder together with nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating or indigestion. These symptoms can mimic those of other problems, including heart attack so accurate diagnosis is important. ‘Silent’ gallstones that do not cause any symptoms, are sometimes detected incidentally during other procedures such as ultrasounds, X-rays, or CT scans. If symptoms develop that suggest gallstones and doctor will take a physical examination to check your skin and eyes for jaundice and your abdomen for tenderness. If gallstones blocking the bile ducts may result in a combination of abdominal pain, jaundice and fever. This suggests a diagnosis of cholangitis means inflammation of a bile duct, a condition requiring urgent medical attention. As a number of other conditions, such as pancreatitis, hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome and gastric ulcers, may produce symptoms similar to those of gallstones, it need to additional tests to make a definitive diagnosis. Some tests may include
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An abdominal ultrasound and a computerized tomography (CT) scan to create pictures of your gallbladder. These images can be analyzed to look for signs of gallstones.
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Tests to check your bile ducts for gallstones. A test that uses a special dye to highlight your bile ducts on images may help to doctor determine whether a gallstone is causing a blockage. Tests may include a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Gallstones discovered using ERCP can be removed during the procedure.
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Blood tests may reveal an infection, jaundice, pancreatitis or other complications caused by gallstones.
How Homeopathy helps to cure gallbladder stones?
When the stones are of a smaller size, homeopathic medicines will help in possibly reduce the size of the stones. Homeopathy medicines are effective in alleviating pain as well as chronic inflammation of gallbladder associated with the condition. Homeopathy also helps to control further stone production activity.
The most important mechanism in the formation of stones is increased biliary secretion of cholesterol.
This may occur due to many reasons that cannot be pinpointed. Homeopathic medication, the secretion of cholesterol is regulated and the density of bile is made normal then the stones melt. In some cases even if the disease is cured, i.e. the bile is made normal, the stones do not melt.
By homeopathic medicines, the stones can be made to become silent and fixed in one place. The patients become symptom-free, for the rest of their lives. All cases of gallstones are not required to be operated upon. Homeopathy has specific medicines for the treatment of pathological gall bladder.
They should first be treated with homeopathic medicines. Homeopathy successfully dissolves small and medium-sized gallstones and help you avoid the gallbladder removal. Homeopathy also provides fast pain relief in gallbladder attacks and can be used for prevention and treatment of biliary colic.
The medicines are natural, effective and have no side effects. In patients with gallbladder removal homeopathy can alleviate the digestive disorders after surgery.