- 1. What to eat
- 2. Remedies for gallstones
- 3. Shock waves
- 4. Surgery to remove the gallbladder
- What can happen if I don't treat gall stones
- Homemade treatment for gall bladder
- Homeopathic treatment for gall bladder
Treatment for gall bladder can be done with proper diet, use of drugs, shock waves or surgery, and will depend on the symptoms presented, the size of the stones and other factors such as age, weight and other existing diseases, such as diabetes and high cholesterol.
Diet and medication are best when the stones are still small and do not cause symptoms, such as severe pain on the right side of the abdomen. However, when the person has symptoms or when the stone is large or goes into the bile ducts causing obstruction, treatment is usually done with surgery to remove the gallbladder. In cases where the patient cannot perform the surgery, the doctor can indicate the shock waves, which can break the stones into small pieces, facilitating their elimination through the intestine.
Thus, the treatment for gallstones can be done with:
1. What to eat
The feeding for gallbladder stone should be done to prevent the increase of cholesterol, one of the main causes of the formation of gallstones. Thus, the diet should be low in saturated and trans fat and pasta, and high in fiber.
- What to eat: fruits, vegetables, raw salad, whole products like bread, rice, macaroni and crackers, whole grains like oats, chia and flaxseed, crackers or maria. What not to eat: fried foods in general, sausages, sausages, red meats, margarine, whole milk, yellow cheeses such as cheddar and mozzarella, sour cream, pizza, industrialized products such as stuffed crackers, packaged snacks and frozen food.
It is also important to stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water, teas or natural juices, preferably without sugar. Learn how to make a proper gallstone diet at: Diet in gall bladder crisis.
2. Remedies for gallstones
Treatment with medication is done when gallbladder stones are cholesterol, as medications like Ursodiol work by dissolving these stones. However, the person may need to take this type of medicine for a long time, as the stones usually take years to dissolve, and therefore, this treatment is only indicated for people who do not suffer from the symptoms of pain.
3. Shock waves
Gallbladder stones can be treated by extracorporeal lithotripsy, which are shock waves that break the stones into smaller pieces, easier to pass through the bile ducts into the intestine, where they will be eliminated through the feces. However, this technique is restricted to people who have symptoms and who have a single stone, 0.5 to 2 cm in diameter, and few people meet these criteria.
The disadvantage of non-surgical treatments for gallbladder stones is the high chance that the stones will reappear and inflame the gallbladder.
4. Surgery to remove the gallbladder
Surgical treatment of gallstones is done when the person has abdominal pain or when the stones are very large. The surgery can be done through a cut in the abdomen or by laparoscopy, which is a surgery done through a small cut in the belly, where the surgeon places a camera inside the abdomen and is able to remove the gallbladder without having to make a larger cut. This method is the one that has been used the most.
Surgery is usually the treatment of choice because it brings a definitive solution to the problem and the patient usually only needs to be hospitalized for 1 day, being able to return to his normal activities after about 2 weeks. After surgery, the liver will continue to produce bile, which now goes directly to the intestine at the time of digestion, as there is no longer a gallbladder for storage. See when it is indicated and how is the recovery from gall bladder surgery and what to eat after removing the gall bladder.
What can happen if I don't treat gall stones
When the stones are small and do not cause pain, the person can spend a lifetime without feeling anything. However, stones can grow and block the bile ducts, causing complications such as:
- Cholecystitis: inflammation of the gallbladder with increased risk of infection. Symptoms are constant abdominal pain, even when the person is not eating, fever and vomiting; Choledocholithiasis: when the stone leaves the gallbladder and obstructs the choledochal, causing pain and jaundice, when the skin and eyes are yellowish in color; Cholangitis: serious infection caused by bacteria, which can lead to death. Symptoms are abdominal pain, fever, chills and jaundice; Acute pancreatitis: when the stone clogs a duct in the pancreas. Symptoms are severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and jaundice.
Homemade treatment for gall bladder
A homemade treatment that can be used for gall bladder is burdock and boldo tea, which helps to reduce gall bladder inflammation and eliminate stones. However, the individual must inform the doctor about home treatment, and this should only be done when there are no symptoms present, such as abdominal pain.
To make this tea, simply place and boldo tea sachet, 1 teaspoon of burdock root and 500 ml of water. Put the water to a boil, turn off the heat and add the boldo and burdock. After 10 min, strain the mixture and drink 2 cups of tea a day, 1 hour after lunch and dinner.
For other homemade ways to treat gall stones, see: Homemade remedy for gall stones.
Homeopathic treatment for gall bladder
The homeopathic treatment for gallstones can be done with homeopathic remedies such as Chelidonium majus or Lycopodium clavatum, however, its ingestion must be done under medical or homeopathic guidance.
