Anyone who has ever thought that “gallstones” is a distant disease may need to rethink, as changes in eating habits have caused most people to be overweight or obese, or even those with normal weight but with accumulated fat and cholesterol, which can cause bile to precipitate and form gallstones. People with this condition often experience bloating, indigestion, and abdominal pain every time after eating. If anyone has these symptoms, they should consult a doctor.
Behaviors to Avoid If You Don’t Want to Risk Gallstone Disease
- Avoid and reduce consumption of foods high in fat and cholesterol to prevent accumulation in the body, including excessive alcohol consumption which also has an effect.
- Take care of your health and do not let diabetes occur, as diabetic patients tend to have increased triglyceride levels in the blood, and the gallbladder contracts less in those with high blood sugar, increasing the risk of gallstones.
- Enjoying tasty food but suffering from indigestion, obesity is a cause that increases cholesterol levels in bile.
- Rapid and extreme weight loss in a short period can cause liver dysfunction, leading to increased cholesterol secretion by the liver and reduced gallbladder contraction, causing bile to stagnate and precipitate.
- Long-term use of contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy can increase cholesterol and reduce gallbladder motility.
Gallstone Warning Symptoms That Should Not Be Overlooked
- Bloating above the navel, belching, nausea, vomiting, similar to indigestion, often after eating fatty foods.
- Severe cramping pain lasting more than an hour under the right rib cage, radiating to the shoulder, accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
- Severe abdominal pain with sweating and fainting, usually after eating fatty or heavy meals.
- Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes) occurring after abdominal pain symptoms.
Bloating, Post-Meal Pain, Unable to Endure, Get an E.R.C.P Exam
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (E.R.C.P) is an endoscopic procedure used to examine abnormalities in the bile ducts and pancreas. The doctor will insert an endoscope through the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum to the opening of the bile duct in the small intestine. Then, a contrast dye is injected and X-ray images are taken.
In addition to diagnosis, E.R.C.P also helps treat bile duct or pancreatic duct obstruction by placing drainage tubes for bile or pancreatic juice, and can immediately treat stones in the bile duct by removing them during the endoscopy.
