What are gallstones?
They are like little rocks that develop inside the gallbladder — a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side, beneath your liver. The gallbladder stores and releases bile, which helps digest fats. We don’t understand why gallstones form, but changes in the bile may play a part. If the tubes carrying bile are blocked by gallstones, the gallbladder may become inflamed and painful.
Being overweight or drinking too much alcohol increases your risk. Frequent fasting & rapid weight loss (more than 3 pds/week) can lead to gall-stones. In the U.S., those at higher risk include American Indians, Mexican-Americans, people of western European heritage, and people with diabetes or liver disease (including cirrhosis). The risk increases with age. Women are at higher risk, and the risk increases if they’re pregnant, taking birth-control pills or certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, or if their mothers had gallstones.
How will my health care provider know I have gallstones?
You’ll be asked questions about your symptoms. In a mild case, you may notice colicky abdominal pain after you eat, especially after eating a fatty or greasy meal. The pain may go away in a few hours. If your gallstones are more severe, you may notice steady, severe pain in the middle of the right side of your upper abdomen or you may feel pain on the right side of your back near your shoulder blade. These pains may even wake you up. Your abdomen will be examined for tenderness, you may have blood tests to check for infection & to see if your liver and pancreas are working properly, a urine sample, and an ultrasound.
How are gallstones treated?
If your symptoms are mild, you are usually given medicine for pain, nausea, and vomiting. You may be told not to eat and to drink only clear liquids for a while to give your gallbladder a rest. You should avoid fatty or greasy meals. If you’re in a lot of pain, you’ll be admitted to the hospital for intravenous fluids, pain medicine, and antibiotics. Removing the gallbladder surgically is the cure for gallstones. With laparoscopic surgery, the incisions are tiny and you’ll have less pain & your recovery should be faster with fewer activity restrictions than with traditional surgery. You’ll go home from the hospital the same day or the next day. But if the surgeon doesn’t think she can easiIy remove your gallbladder with laparoscopic surgery, she’ll need to make a larger incision on your abdomen. You’ll stay in the hospital 3—5 days and restrict your activities (such as lifting) for a longer period. If you can’t have surgery because of your age or health, you’ll be prescribed drugs to dissolve your gallstones. But gallstones may not dissolve for years, and they’ll probably come back.
Can I prevent gallstones?
Maintain a normal body weight, exercise regularly, and eat 3 well-balanced meals every day. Eat plenty of foods containing fiber and calcium. Avoid alcohol and foods high in saturated fat. If you’re too heavy, reduce your weight but don't try to lose weight too fast with a crash diet.
Reprinted with permission from Nursing 2005