Gallstone disease is a condition characterized by sudden abdominal pain due to the formation of stones in the gallbladder. Gallstone disease can also occur in the bile ducts. The gallbladder is a small organ located under the liver. This organ is capable of producing and storing bile which plays an important role in digestive processes, including digesting cholesterol contained in the food you consume. Most gallstones come from cholesterol deposits which eventually harden and form stones.
Causes of gallstones
The cause of gallstones is thought to arise due to cholesterol and bilirubin deposits that accumulate in the gallbladder. The buildup occurs when bile is unable to dissolve the excess cholesterol and bilirubin that the liver produces.
Everyone can get gallstones, especially for those who have a bad lifestyle. However, problems with the gallbladder can also occur due to heredity. Therefore, to prevent gallstones, you should start adopting a healthy lifestyle from now on. Thus, it can reduce your risk of developing gallstone disease.
Prevent gallstones with a healthy lifestyle
Here are things you can do to prevent gallstones:
- Weight Control
Overweight or obesity is a risk factor for gallstones. People with obesity usually have high cholesterol levels, making it difficult for the gallbladder to empty itself. As a result, you need to control your weight to stay within a healthy range to prevent gallstones. If necessary, you must lose weight until it reaches the ideal, but keep in mind to do it in a healthy and slow way. It's best if you first consult with your doctor or someone who is an expert in controlling your diet.
- Healthy Diet
To minimize the risk of developing gallstones, you need to eat on a regular schedule, and choose healthy foods to prevent gallstones. You need to limit foods with high saturated fat, such as fatty meat, butter, offal, cream and others. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat fat at all. Instead, your body needs fat, but the good fat.
You can consume monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and canola oil, as well as omega-3 fatty acids such as avocado and fish oil to reduce the risk of gallstones. You also need to consume fiber which can be found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Fiber can help lower your cholesterol and help you lose weight. Also increase your consumption of nuts and seeds.
- Exercise regularly
To maintain or lose weight, it's a good idea to exercise regularly. Exercise can also help in lowering high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. So, exercise can help you avoid gallstone disease. It is recommended to exercise at least 30 minutes per day or 150 minutes per week.
- Avoid Consuming Certain Drugs
Cholesterol-lowering drugs (Gemfibrozil and Fenofibrate), are not good for consumption because they can increase the risk of developing gallstones. This can happen because these drugs can increase the amount of cholesterol released into the bile, so that gallstones can form.
In addition, hormone therapy, such as the hormone estrogen which is used after menopausal women or high-dose birth control pills that contain estrogen. The hormone estrogen can make the body produce more cholesterol, which can cause gallstones. That is why women are more at risk of suffering from gallstones.
Treatment of gallstones
For the treatment of gallstones yourself, it must be adjusted to the development of stones and their impact on you. Basically, gallstones have different impacts and influences for each person. If gallstones are small and don't cause symptoms, then medical treatment is not needed. However, if the sufferer feels symptoms of abdominal pain that appear suddenly, then medical action needs to be taken immediately. The method of treating gallstones is usually done by surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy).
It's good if you feel unusual symptoms in your body, consult a doctor immediately, so that the complaints you are experiencing can be treated as early as possible. #LiveExcellently
This article was written by dr. H. Nasrul Liza, Sp.B-KBD (General Surgeon – Digestive Consultant at EMC Tangerang Hospital).