Located in the abdomen behind the liver is a small, pear-shaped organ called the gallbladder. The purpose of the gallbladder is to store bile, which is the highly acidic, greenish yellow liquid that the liver produces. Bile is an essential part of successful digestion. It gets propelled toward broken down food particles before they can undergo the fecalization process in the small intestine. The gallbladder does not always function properly, however.
There are a few conditions that will either make the digestion process wholly uncomfortable, or can stop the flow of bile altogether. Gallstones are this type of blockage. A gallstone is basically a crystallized portion of the gallbladder’s contents. Gallstones may be present in the gallbladder itself, or they can settle in the biliary duct, which is the transport route between the gallbladder and the rest of the digestive system.
Although gallstones can affect anyone of any age, there are some ethnic groups that are more prone to gallstones than others. In addition to being ethnically and genetically predisposed for gallstones, certain diets can also trigger this painful occurrence. Approximately 1 in 5 people over the age of 65 have had or are susceptible to gallstones. Eight times out of ten, gallstones are so small and inconsequential that they go undetected. It’s the larger, more calcified stones that cannot be easily passed that are responsible for the half a million gallbladder removal surgeries each year.
The major component of gallstones is cholesterolspecifically the high density lipoproteins often referred to as “bad cholesterol”. Generally, cholesterol gets absorbed in the bile and does not cause a problem. When a piece of cholesterol become insoluble, it begins to crystallized along with microscopic amounts of calcium salts and bilirubinthe chemical that gives bile its characteristic color.
Symptoms
Most gallstones are microscopic and pass through the bile duct with ease where they go on to the small intestine. Some stones may stay behind, gathering more cholesterol and pigment, ever expanding and causing the already narrow passageway of the bile duct to contract further. At this point a person may experience a shooting, burning pain called a “gall attack.” The pain is felt under the breastbone and can extend around the torso and even up the arm. The sensation is like that of heartburn and can be accompanied by vomiting, usually of bile.
Complications
When gallstones
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