The appearance of stones in the gallbladder - the first symptoms and treatment

Bile is necessary for the work of the gastrointestinal tract, without it, normal digestion is impossible. But if dysfunction of the biliary system develops, stones appear in the gallbladder: symptoms of cholelithiasis need to be known in order to start treatment on time and avoid complications.

• Causes of stones
• Types of gallstones
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis of the disease
• Treatment of cholelithiasis
• ethnoscience

Causes of stones

The process of formation of stones is due to the high content of bile components, forming a sedimentary solid (cholesterol, bilirubin, calcium). When the concentration of these substances reaches a critical level, separate crystallization centers begin to form around which concrements (solid stones) gradually form. They can be found both in the gall bladder (cholelithiasis) and in the ducts (choledocholithiasis). In addition, these stones can be found in the liver and liver ducts.

The main factors contributing to the formation of concrements:

1. Inhomogeneity of the bile composition, in which the amount of cholesterol is higher than that which can be dissolved by bile acids. Such bile is called lithogenic, that is, stone-forming. In this case, excess cholesterol crystallizes and precipitates.
2. Dyskinesia of the biliary tract and gall bladder, which significantly reduces the peristalsis of these organs, and slows the movement of bile from the bladder into the ducts and beyond. With this violation, stagnation of bile occurs, and concrements are formed.
3. Biliary hypertension, when there is an increased pressure of bile in the bladder due to narrowing of the ducts, development of tumors, etc.

Additional factors contributing to the formation of gallstones:

• age;
• floor;
• hormonal factor;
• malnutrition;
• taking medicines.

The age group of risk is people over 35 years old. The older the person, the greater the likelihood of cholelithiasis. In men, gallstone disease is less common. Children suffer extremely seldom. Chololithiasis in women is more common, as the female sex hormone estrogen causes an increase in the cholesterol content in bile. Hormone caused a large frequency of stone formation and pregnancy. Endocrine disorders that occur in diabetes mellitus can manifest themselves in the formation of concrements.

Important! Those who often starve (a hard or hungry diet) or eat irregularly, often turn to doctors about gallstones.

Promotes cholelithiasis and a long period of intravenous (parenteral) nutrition, for example, after severe cavitary operations, when the work of the gastrointestinal tract essentially stops. The drug factor of the appearance of gallstones - concrements are formed during treatment with antibiotics of the cephalosporin series, the intake of hormonal drugs, including contraceptives.

Types of gallstones

The concretions of the gallbladder are cholesteric, bilirubin, calcareous and mixed. Both cholesterol and bilirubin stones can be calcified or uncalcified. Bilirubin (pigment) stones are divided into black and brown. Calcareous stones are less common.

Cholesterol stones can appear during pregnancy, obesity and a sharp decrease in weight, hypertension. Bilirubin black stones are formed in anemia and liver diseases, brown - with cholestasis, the focus of bacterial infection in the gallbladder, after operations on the biliary tract.

Stones can also be:

• single;
• multiple;
• small;
• large.

Small stones - less than 3 cm in cross section, more than 3 cm are considered large.

Symptoms

The symptomatology of cholelithiasis depends on its clinical form. Distinguish:

• physical and chemical;
• latent;
• clinical.

The physico-chemical form is characterized by a prolonged asymptomatic course, since there are no concrements in the biliary tract, but prerequisites for their formation (lithogenic bile with cholesterol flakes and salt crystals) have been created. At this stage, the disease can be determined by analyzing bile.

With a latent form, there are already stones, but there are no pains. This form is also called stone breaking. Dyspeptic phenomena (flatulence, heartburn, eructation, bitter taste in the mouth) are noted. There may be a feeling of heaviness in the epigastrium after heavy, fatty or spicy food. In pregnant women, such signs become apparent in later terms, when the fetal movement leads to the movement of stones in the gallbladder.

The clinical form of the disease can be torpid and paroxysmal. It appears when the stones begin to move, go into the ducts, causing obstruction (overlapping ducts) in the biliary tract. Determine the pain can be with palpation of the abdominal wall. Increased stones in the cavity of the gallbladder become the main cause of the development of acute or chronic calculous (cholelithiasis) cholecystitis.

Torpid form is called sluggish. The pains are constant, stupid, there is no remission. The paroxysmal form is characteristic for the acute phase of the disease, when the calculus moves, passes along the ducts, irritating the mucous membrane of the organ, the walls of the ducts, and clogging them. During an attack the pain sharp under the right rib, gives in the right scapula and a back.

Especially bright are the symptoms of stones in the gallbladder after heavy food, fatty and spicy. To digest such a meal, a large amount of bile is needed, the increased current of which forces the stones to move, brings them into the ducts, causing characteristic colic and vomiting. Relief after vomiting is not observed.

Other symptoms:

• the feces become whitish, discolored;
• constipation often occurs;
• can manifest mechanical jaundice with a difficult outflow of bile.

Important! A separate case is intermittent jaundice, which may indicate the presence of a ventral calculus in the neck of the gallbladder. This is a stone that, moving and turning, can then block the way of bile, then open.

Diagnosis of the disease

In addition to collecting a clinical picture (intensity of pain, when an attack occurs, etc.) and examining the patient, the doctor also uses instrumental diagnostic methods:

• Ultrasound;
• tomography;
• radiography;
• scintigraphy;
• cholecystography.

A full picture is obtained when examining a patient during an attack. Soreness increases with palpation of the right hypochondrium. Mandatory laboratory examination of blood, with jaundice - urine. The duodenum is probed to analyze the contents.

Treatment of cholelithiasis

Treatment of an SCI can be:

• conservative and medicamentous;
• minimally invasive;
• surgical.

Conservative treatment is based on a diet with restriction of animal fats. You need to eat a little, avoiding sharp dishes and not drinking alcohol. During periods of exacerbation, complete starvation with drinking water can be prescribed if there is no vomiting.

Medicamentally applied is henoterapy (the taking of preparations of bile acids, which can dissolve the stones). These are Ursosan, Ursofalk, Henofalk and others. If the bacterial nature of inflammation is detected, antibacterial therapy with detoxification of the body is used. The pain syndrome is stopped by spasmolytics - No-shpa, Papaverin, etc., analgesics (Analgin) and combined drugs (Spazmalgon).

Of the minimally invasive methods, shock-wave and litholysis are most often used. With their help, it is possible to break the stones into smaller concretions and withdraw them naturally through the gastrointestinal tract or dissolve medication. Surgical intervention is carried out if surgery is indispensable. Remove the gallbladder. Indications are large stones, destructive cholecystitis, complications (suppuration, danger of rupture of the bladder or ducts, etc.). Both laparoscopy and laparotomy are used (opening the abdominal cavity parallel to the lower costal arch on the right).

ethnoscience

At home, widely used medicinal plants, decoctions, infusions, teas and other means.

Radish and honey

It is very effective for stones in the gallbladder radish with honey: several roots are taken (only black, the most bitter radish), rubbed on a small grater, the juice is squeezed and mixed with the same amount of honey. You need to take half an hour before a meal for 1 tbsp. l.

Sauerkraut

It facilitates the dissolution of stones brine from sauerkraut: before eating you need to drink half a glass, pouring from a can of cabbage.

Rowan

Dissolves the stones in the bile ducts of the redwooded mountain ash: two glasses divided into three portions and consumed before the main meal. Can be mixed with honey or sugar.

Strawberry

In summer, fresh strawberries are useful in gallstones: there must be at least 3 glasses a day throughout the season.

Birch leaves

Young birch leaves are dried, poured with boiling water (a glass of 2 tbsp. l.) and keep on fire, until half of the water evaporates. Cool decoction filter and drink 2 tbsp. l. three times a day. This broth facilitates the removal of small stones, but during the treatment may increase soreness.

Treating cholelithiasis with folk remedies is possible only if the attending physician approves them. The self-selected methods can be dangerous: one can not be treated with tablets of unknown origin or take potent agents that can lead to the crushing of the stones and subsequent blockage of the biliary tract.

Gallstones - a concomitant disease that occurs in diseases of the gallbladder, liver, GIT. Chololithiasis requires long-term treatment, and in the case of surgery, a restorative process.