Gallstones: thunder in the gallbladder

1. Spitting your bile, being bilious; proverbs enough about the bile and usually they are not that positive. You can also suffer from your gallbladder. From gallstones for example; a very painful phenomenon. What exactly are they? And who is at increased risk?

1. Bile is a fluid that is important for digestion in the gut, especially the digestion of fats. About a liter of bile is made in the liver every day. Through the bile ducts, the bitter, yellow-green fluid enters the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped bag in which bile fluid is temporarily stored. The gallbladder is located in the upper right part of the abdominal cavity, against the liver at the bottom. When the bile clumps together, a gallstone forms. And that can be accompanied by painful colic.

Gallstones

1. Bile consists of water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts and bilirubin. If this mixture becomes unbalanced, for example due to high cholesterol, crystals are formed that harden in the gallbladder: gallstones. About 10 percent of the population has gallstones, but most people don't have them. The gallstone then lies quietly in the gallbladder. Complaints only arise when the gallstones block the drainage channels of the gallbladder. And that can be very painful.

Causes

1. Little is known about the causes of gallstones. The composition of the bile fluid and the functioning of the gallbladder can play a role, as mentioned. Gallstones can also develop, for example, if the gallbladder does not empty enough during meals. This allows the bile fluid that remains to thicken. If the bile fluid contains too much cholesterol, cholesterol gallstones can form. Being overweight and losing weight quickly increase the risk of gallstones. Hereditary factors may also play a role.

Risk groups

1. Gallstones mainly occur in people in Western countries. Obesity is a major trigger. Gallstones are three to four times more common in overweight people than in people of a healthy weight. The risk is even greater when there is a lot of fat in the abdominal cavity (visceral fat). This is because the gallbladder is less mobile when overweight and the bile contains a lot of cholesterol. Women also have a greater risk of gallstones. The cholesterol gallstones in particular are known to occur more often in women than in men. Female hormones probably play a role in this. Gallstones often develop during pregnancy, for example.

Symptoms

1. The symptoms of gallstones are not always obvious. For example, you may have a nagging pain under the breastbone and a feeling of nausea and bloating after meals. In particular, high-fat foods such as pastries, fatty meat, chips and other fried dishes are usually not well tolerated. Discolored faeces is also a sign on the wall. It gets really painful when the stone shoots into the bile duct or closes the exit of the gallbladder. This creates a colicky pain and can lead to vomiting, seeing yellow or passing out. Always see a doctor in case of severe pain. The doctor can usually determine whether it is gallstones based on the symptoms. To be sure, an ultrasound or MRI can be conclusive. After that, a treatment plan can be drawn up.

2. The symptoms of gallstones are not always obvious. For example, you may experience a nagging pain under the breastbone and a feeling of nausea and bloating after meals. Especially high-fat foods such as pastries, fatty meat, chips and other fried dishes are usually not well tolerated. Discolored faeces is also a sign on the wall. It gets really painful when the stone shoots into the bile duct or closes the exit of the gallbladder. This creates a colicky pain and can lead to vomiting, yellowing or passing out. Always see a doctor in case of severe pain. The doctor can usually determine whether it concerns gallstones based on the symptoms. To be sure, an ultrasound or MRI can be conclusive. After that, a treatment plan can be drawn up.