Gallstones Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of gallstones

About 75 percent of these patients who have gallstones (here specifically refers to gallbladder stones) show no symptoms. If gallstones symptoms occur, they are often initially rather unspecific.

Dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is one of the most common gastrointestinal tract symptoms, defined as a disturbed digestion, which is usually accompanied by stomach discomfort, bloating, heartburn, acid reflux, or even nausea and vomiting.

Gallstones pain

About 75 percent of these patients who have gallstones (here specifically refers to gallbladder stones) show no symptoms. If symptoms occur, they are often initially rather unspecific. Especially after high fat meals, abdominal pain come in the right upper quadrant, often associated with bloating, flatulence and nausea. The gallbladder is easily irritated, the symptoms resemble those of a gastritis and may therefore be confused quickly. With a stronger stimulation, gallbladder pain may radiate to the back and right shoulder.

When the gallstones begin to migrate, that may intensify the symptoms. The bile ducts partially become inflamed or blocked by the gall stones. A gallstone blocks the cystic duct (a short duct as the neck of the gallbladder, and extending to the bile duct) or the common bile duct, and therefore it comes to a so-called biliary colic. The muscles in the wall of the bile ducts, will contract in order to push bile, as well as gallstones. Therefore that continues to carry the gallstone. The pressure in the bile duct increases thereby and produces severe cramping pain primarily in the right middle and upper abdomen, radiating to the back and right shoulder, and are often described by those affected as almost unbearable. In between, gallstones pain becomes weak, after a while, it attacks again strongly. Such a high intensity with biliary colic may last until about 15 minutes to 5 hours and this gallstones pain is usually accompanied by nausea, belching and vomiting.

Cause of the symptoms can be

Sometimes, in the following days, a slight jaundice occurs. The stools of the patients are often discolored, because of the closure of the biliary bile, bile pigments are missing in the stool. Also, the so-called fat diarrhea often occurs, because of the lack of bile, fat breakdown (fat degradation) is interrupted. When you get fat diarrhea, in some cases, large quantities of unsplit fat are located the diarrheal stool.

Also, X-ray examinations of the gall bladder and bile ducts are possible. These are sometimes used contrast agents.

Further investigation of methods for identification of gallstones are endoscopy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

By blood tests, doctor will search for inflammation factors and changes in liver function.

The usual treatment for gallstones that cause symptoms, is the removal of the gall bladder. Such a gall bladder surgery can be performed through a conventional abdominal incision or through a micro-invasive surgery. There are also various other methods to treat gallstones.


Article From: Gallstonessymptoms.net
Last update: 2012-05-03
Created: 2011-12-02