The gallbladder is a small sac found just
under the liver. It stores bile made by the liver. Bile helps you digest fats.
Bile moves from the gallbladder to the small through tubes called the
cystic duct and common bile duct.
Gallstones are made from cholesterol and
other things found in the bile. They can be smaller than a grain of sand or as
large as a golf ball.
Most gallstones do not cause problems. But if
they block a duct, they usually need treatment.
Gallstones form when cholesterol and other
things found in bile make stones. They can also form if the gallbladder does
not empty as it should. People who are overweight or who are trying to lose
weight quickly are more likely to get gallstones.
Most people who have gallstones do not have
symptoms.
If you have symptoms, you most likely will
have mild pain in the pit of your stomach or in the upper right part of
your belly. Pain may spread to your right upper back or shoulder blade area.
Sometimes the pain is more severe. It may be steady, or it may come and go. Or
it may get worse when you eat.
When gallstones keep blocking a bile duct,
you may have pain with fever and chills. Or your skin or the whites of your
eyes may turn yellow. Call your doctor right away. Having stones in your bile
duct increases your chance of having a swollen pancreas (pancreatitis).
These symptoms may also be a sign of an infected gallbladder.
Causes
Gallstones develop when cholesterol and
other substances in the bile form crystals that become hard stones in the
gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small sac located just under the liver.
Gallstones can occur when your gallbladder does not empty properly or if you
have too much cholesterol in your bile. Too much cholesterol in your bile is
not caused by eating too much cholesterol or having high cholesterol (in the
blood).
Symptoms
The most common symptom of gallstones is pain
in the stomach area or in the upper right part of the belly, under
the ribs.
The pain may:
- Start suddenly in the center of the upper belly (epigastric area)
and spread to the right upper back or shoulder blade area. It is usually
hard to get comfortable. Moving around does not make the pain go away.
- Prevent you from taking normal or deep breaths.
- Last 15 minutes to 24 hours. Continuous pain for 1 to 5 hours is
common.
- Begin at night and be severe enough to wake you.
- Occur after meals.
Gallstone pain can cause vomiting, which may
relieve some of the belly (abdominal) pain and pressure. Pain that occurs with
a fever, nausea, and vomiting or loss of appetite may be a sign of inflammation
or infection of the gallbladder (acute cholecystitis). Symptoms that may mean
that a gallstone is blocking the common bile duct include:
- Yellowing of the skin and the white part of the eyes (jaundice).
- Dark urine.
- Light-colored stools.
- A fever and chills.
Belly pain that comes and goes (rather than
being constant) and that occurs with nausea and vomiting and possibly a mild
fever is more likely to be caused by stomach flu or food poisoning than by
gallstones.
Remedies
to Cure Gallstones
1. Lemon
Juice
Squeeze
juice of 4 fresh lemons and drink it on an empty stomach every day. It is of
great help in removing the gallstones naturally.
2. Water
This is a
widely used remedy. Drink plenty of water to eliminate the gallstones.
3.
Vegetable Juice
Mix the
juices of carrot, beetroot, and cucumber in equal proportion and drink it at
least twice a day for 2 weeks.
4. Pear
Juice and Honey
Take half
glass of water. Add half glass of pear juice and two tablespoons of honey to
it. Stir it well. Drink it at least three times a day.
- Alternatively, eat pears to soften the
gallstones. They provide relief from the pain caused by gallstones.
5. Wine
Drinking
half glass of wine daily can prove out to be helpful in keeping the gallstone
at bay.
6. Epsom
Salt
It allows
the gallstones to move out through the bile duct. Empty 1 teaspoon of Epsom
salt into normal water and drink it in the evening for a couple of days.
7. Heat
Packs or Heating Pad
For quick
relief, make use of a heating pad, hot water bottle, or other heat packs. Place
it over your stomach, directly on the gallbladder for 20 to 30 minutes. This
will temporarily relieve the pain. Or else, you can also soak yourself in a hot
bath water.
8. Castor
Oil Compress
Another
useful remedy to quickly reduce the pain linked with gallbladder is castor oil.
Castor oil soothes the inflammation. Soak a clean and dirt-free rag in cold
pressed castor oil. Place it over the aching gallbladder. For more effective
results, place a plastic and hot water bottle over the rag. Leave it on for 30
minutes.
9. Apple
Cider Vinegar (ACV)
ACV has
acidic properties that provide relief from the pain caused by gallstones. You
may drink one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar directly. And if you don’t like
the taste of apple cider vinegar, then combine one teaspoon (5ml) of it in 250
ml glass of apple juice and drink it for immediate relief.
10. Fiber
Take more
cereals as well as other grains that are rich in fiber. It controls metabolic
rate and eliminates cholesterol from the body.
11.
Salmon
As per the
recent research, intake of supplements that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids,
such as salmon, helps prevent gallstones.
12.
Coffee
Drink coffee
daily, but be sure you don’t drink excess of it. 1 or 2 cups per day are
adequate. Coffee boosts up the flow of bile, thereby, reduce the risk of
gallstones.
13.
Calcium
Calcium
binds the acids present in the bile. Hence, there are fewer chances for the
formation of new stones, and the present ones are unlikely to worsen. Take
calcium supplements daily.
14.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C
makes cholesterol more water soluble, which permits our body to remove the
gallstones out of our system rather than allowing it to accumulate in the
gallbladder. Take 200 mg of vitamin C supplements on a daily basis if you have
gallstones. You can also consume citrus fruits.
15.
Lentils
Eating
plenty of nuts, oranges, peas, beans, lentils and lima beans makes one less
susceptible to gallbladder problems.
16.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is
known for cleaning the liver as well as for supplying various essential
minerals and vitamins. Consume 1,000 milligrams of alfalfa in the form of
capsule or tablet along with a glass of warm water, twice a day for 2 days.
17.
Veggies
Increasing
the intake of vegetables is said to be a great way to prevent or keep
gallstones away. As per a recent study, women who were vegetarian were less
vulnerable to gallstones than those who ate meat.
REMEMBER
Abdominal
pain can be a sign of a serious or even life-threatening condition, especially
if you have a heart condition or are older than 60. If you are having sudden or
severe pain and are not sure what is causing it, you may need immediate medical
treatment. You should be especially concerned if you are having trouble
breathing or you faint or lose consciousness.