GALL BLADDER STONES

Definition:

Gallstones are clumps of crystallized cholesterol or some pigments in the gallbladder. This condition is fairly common (affects 11% of general population) women are twice as likely as men to develop gallstones. (Medical dictum for Gallstones is: It’s a disease of fat female of forty).

The gallbladder is a small sac situated just under the liver and it produces bile juice that is essential for proper digestion of fats. The bile juice mainly contains cholesterol, water, bile salts and a pigment called Bilirubin. When the proportion of these contents is altered in the bile juice, gallstones start forming.

Types of Gallstones:

There are two basic types of gallstones:

• Cholesterol gallstones: Made up of cholesterol (accounting for about 80% of cases)
• Pigment stones: Made up of the pigment Bilirubin

Factors contributing to development of gallstones

• Obesity
• It’s twice as common in females as compared to males
• People over age of 60 years are at higher risk
• Fasting, diabetes, rapid weight loss can also lead to formation of gallstones in some cases

Many patients having gallstones may not have any complaint. However, some may experience pain in the upper abdomen radiating to the back. The pain may last up to 2-6 hours.

Remarks:

All the factors that form stone are present in the bile under normal circumstances; however, they are in a dissolved state. If there is an increase in the concentration of cholesterol or pigments, they crystallize and precipitate out as stones. Factors such as increasing age, pregnancy, obesity, liver disorders, infections can have an impact on the development of gallstones. Some studies suggest that genetics and heredity factors are at the root of this condition that makes one prone to have gallstones.

The suggestion about homeopathic treatment:

When the stones are of a smaller size, homeopathic medicines will help in possibly reduce the size of the stones. Homeopathy medicines are effective in alleviating pain as well as chronic inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis) associated with the condition. Homeopathy also helps to control further stone production activity. It the stones are bigger, multiple and impacted, it may require surgical intervention. In cases of Large and multiple stones, homeopathy has no curative role to play.

Homeopathic treatment for gallbladder stones

Gallbladder stones are found normally among 20% of the females. Small stones in the gallbladder could be helped with homeopathy. Large stones are better treated by surgery.