Approximately 10 to 15 percent of American adults have gallstone disease, according to Gallstones.com. Each year a million new cases are diagnosed, and 800,000 operations are performed to treat the disease. The stones range from pebble-like to the size of a golf ball. Made of hardened cholesterol or from a bile pigment called billirubin, gallstones develop in the gallbladder.
The gallbladder aids digestion by storing and releasing bile produced by the liver. Bile contains substances called bile salts that break down fats in the food you eat. The liver extracts cholesterol from food, and secretes it into the bile. The gallbladder stores and then releases bile into ducts as food passed from the stomach to the lower intestine, eliminating cholesterol and breaking down fat along the way.
Symptoms
Gallstones can obstruct the flow of bile and can cause inflammation in the liver, small intestine and pancreas. Gallstones can cause severe, persistent pain, jaundice and damage to the liver, intestine or pancreas. Untreated, complications can be fatal. Symptoms can include pain of the right upper abdomen that increases and lasts 30 minutes to several hours; pain in the back between the shoulder blades; and pain under the right shoulder. Seek medical attention immediately if you have pain that lasts more than five hours, fever or chills, nausea and vomiting, yellow tinged skin or whites of the eyes or clay-colored stool, according to National Institutes of Health.
Causes
Several conditions may contribute to the formation of gallstones, according to Gallstones.com. If the bile contains more cholesterol than the salts can break down, gallstones may form. Also, a protein imbalance can cause cholesterol to crystallize, or the gallbladder can fail to constrict enough to routinely secrete its stored bile.
Obesity Risk Factor
Obesity contributes significantly to increased risk for gallstones, especially for women. You are classified as obese if you have a body mass index of 30 or greater. You can calculate your body mass using the online tool at National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. People who are obese tend to have more cholesterol than others, and they may tend to have large gallbladders that do not evacuate properly. Even people who are mildly overweight have a heightened risk for gallstones, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Weight Loss Risk
People who lose weight quickly also have a greater risk of developing gallstones. Rapid weight loss may also cause painless gallstones to become symptomatic. During rapid weight loss the liver secretes excessive cholesterol into the bile, which is then stored in the gallbladder where it can be formed into stones. People who lose more than 3 lbs a week have a greater likelihood of developing gallstones than people who lose weight at a slower rate.
People who repeatedly lose and then regain weight are also at increased risk for gallstones, as are people who have had gastric bypass surgery to lose weight. The National Institutes of Health reports that more than a third of patients who have had gastric bypass surgery develop gallstones.
Treatment and Prevention
If you have acute symptoms of gallstones consult a health provider for a diagnosis and to discuss treatment options. Usually, removal of the gallbladder is the intervention of choice. Cholecystectomy--the surgical removal of the gallbladder--is among the most common adult surgeries in the United States.
To prevent gallstones maintain a low-cholesterol diet. Your diet should include some fat, though, to stimulate the filling and evacuation of your gall-bladder. To maintain gall bladder health, 20 to 35 percent of your calories should come from fat, according to the Weight-control Information Network. Choose healthy fats such as found in olive oil, deepwater fish or flaxseed. Also, maintain a proper weight, avoid yo-yo dieting and abstain from diets that cause sudden weight loss. Weight-loss programs that limit losses to ½ to 2 lbs per week reduce the risk of gallstones. Additionally, exercise regularly to minimize the risk of gallstones.
