The Gall of it all!
The gallbladder is a small pouch, about the size of a pear, that sits just under the liver and stores the bile produced by the liver for use to help breakdown the fats we consume in our daily diet. Even though the gallbladder helps us during the digestive process, the gallbladder itself is not considered an essential organ and can be removed without significant long term harm to the individual. This little storage pouch is often not thought of during the events of our regular day…that is until the little blighter starts to act up with inflammation, gall stones, or cancer. Issues with the gallbladder are the base of most of the digestive issues in the United States. It is estimated that over twenty million people living in the US have gall stones and there are almost a million new cases every year. What does this all mean? What’s the big deal of having gall stones?
Gall stones are just that, little stones that develop within the gallbladder and cause a blockage of the bile that is to be released after food is consumed. When these bile ducts are blocked, the individual can experience a range of symptoms that are all uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating. The following are what a patient might experience with gall stones:
· Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen
· Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the center of your abdomen, just below your breastbone
· Back pain between your shoulder blades
· Pain in your right shoulder
· Nausea or vomiting.
There is no clear cause of the formation of these stones but there are contributing factors that help in the formation of these stones. Some of the most common contributors are too much cholesterol in the bile, too much bilirubin or the gallbladder doesn’t empty properly. Factors that may increase your risk of getting gall stones are many: being female, being age 40 or older, being overweight or obese, being sedentary, being pregnant, eating a high-fat diet, eating a high-cholesterol diet, eating a low-fiber diet, family history, diabetes, rapid weight loss and having liver disease.
If you have experienced or are currently experiencing any of the symptoms and you feel you have at least one of the possible risk factors don’t just wait for the pain to go away on its own. The chances are that these symptoms will gradually get worse and if left unchecked your gallbladder could rupture leading to a whole host of new problems. Go see you family physician and they will start the protocol of getting the issue under control and if need be, the removal of the gallbladder will be ordered. In most cases the procedure is an outpatient affair done laparoscopically with a few small incisions versus opening up the torso to remove a ruptured one. As I said before, millions of people have gall stones and you can live a normal life with them as long as you’re not experiencing any painful symptoms. The most common remedy is to have the gallbladder removed though there are some options of taking medications to dissolve the stones instead of surgery.
As always, thanks for reading and I hope as we move forward into the week that everyone enjoys the spring like weather, only a few more weeks to go till Spring gets sprung! Take care of yourself and each other…in these times of random acts of violence against people of different backgrounds and religions we need to embrace the best of humanity more than ever…remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com