Gallstones are found in almost 20 percent of people when the organs of the upper abdomen are examined with ultrasound. However, only a quarter of the “stone bearers” also have complaints.
In addition to water, bile consists of cholesterol, bile salts, lecithin and various other substances whose job it is to process the fat in our food so that it can be digested.
If the ratio of the bile components is not balanced, small crystals are formed, which develop into bile gravel and can eventually reach the size of a plum. These gallstones very often form in the collecting basin of the bile – namely in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is thought to have evolved in prehistoric times when large amounts of fatty meat had to be eaten at once. Of course, the clan was only granted such a banquet after a rare hunting luck – and then you needed a lot of bile for one seat.
In rare cases, however, bile sludge can develop in the duct connecting the gallbladder and small intestine. Backwater and irritation of the mucous membranes often lead to painful biliary colic. Inflammation can occur, bacteria can settle, yellowing of the skin can occur, combined with itching as an accompanying symptom.
I hope that you never experience these symptoms, which would often necessitate rapid surgical intervention. It is best to take care of your lifestyle. Because a high-fat and high-calorie diet, obesity, too much nicotine and alcohol are essential “prerequisites” for developing gallstones and increasing the risk of severe gallbladder disease. Your doctor will certainly explain your personal risk perfectly.
Do you have questions about health?
Write to OÖN doctor Johannes Neuhofer (dermatologist), who oversees this column with a team of doctors: Clemens Steinwender (cardiologist), Reinhold Függer (surgeon), Rainer Schöfl (gastroenterologist), Josef Hochreiter (orthopaedist), Werner Schöny (psychiatrist). E-mail: doktor@nachrichten.at
Source: Nachrichten
