The most common is the appearance of a set of symptoms known as biliary dyspepsia:
- Flatulence.
- Poor digestion of fats.
- Constipation.
- Heavy digestions.
- Headache.
Gallstones mainly affect obese women, multiparous women, or those who have taken the contraceptive pill, although it is also associated with diets rich in fats and sugars and poor in vegetable fiber.
The role of bile is to facilitate the digestion of fats.
The gallbladder is a small, hollow organ that sits below the liver. It is part of the digestive system and is responsible for storing and concentrating bile. It is pear-shaped; From its upper part comes the cystic duct (tube that leaves the gallbladder carrying bile towards the intestine), which later joins with a hepatic duct (coming from the liver), both leading to the so-called common bile duct. From there, the contents of the gallbladder empty into the duodenum (anterior part of the small intestine), into which they pass through the ampulla of Vater. The expulsion of bile is induced by food intake, especially if they are rich in fat.
There are two kinds of gallstones, resulting from the failure of different metabolic processes:
Cholesterol stones
They appear due to failures in the metabolism of cholesterol and bile salts. They are composed mostly of cholesterol crystals, and account for 75% of lithiasis cases.
Pigment stones
These are formed as a result of a failure in the metabolism of bilirubin. They make up the remaining 25% of cases of gallstones. Bilirubin is a bile pigment produced by the destruction of red blood cells. If an excess of bilirubin is produced in the body, the formation of calcium bilirubinate stones (the chemical form in which bilirubin is found in the gallbladder) may take place. Among the pigmentary type stones we can differentiate: Black pigmentary lithiasis and Brown pigmentary lithiasis.
The first of the tests that will be performed on a patient with symptoms of gallstones will be an ultrasound. To deepen the diagnosis of gallstones or cholelithiasis, a blood test will be carried out in which the levels of bilirubin in the blood will be measured, and it will be verified that the liver function is correct.
Surgery is usually used as treatment to remove the stones from the gallbladder.
Those people who suffer from the symptoms of a gallstone must strictly control the food they eat in order to adjust the food to the level of digestive tolerance, and prevent complications or alterations in intestinal function. For this, it is essential to avoid very fatty or spicy foods, those foods that produce gas, alcohol and try to increase the consumption of vegetables.
It is also advisable to acquire certain habits such as chewing well and slowly, eating small portions, and avoiding becoming overweight.
