The gall bladder's main function is to collect and concentrate the bile that the body uses to digest fats. Problems with the gall bladder and biliary system are very common and
consist of -
Inflammation of the gall bladder and bile ducts
Muscular spasms and/or poor contraction of the gall bladder wall
Stones forming in the gall bladder and/or bile ducts
Obstruction to the free flow of bile
Causes of gall bladder problems:
Production of toxic bile by the liver
Inadequate production of bile by the liver
Sluggish flow of bile
Excess amounts of cholesterol in the bile resulting in stone formation
Infection of the gall bladder
Poor dietary choices with excess consumption of fatty foods, dairy products and fried foods.
The hormonal changes of pregnancy
The oral contraceptive pill and some types of hormone replacement therapy
Some types of blood disorders
You may be suffering with chronic infections because your immune system is weakened and over loaded. To reduce the workload of the immune system it is vital to improve the liver function.
The symptoms of gall bladder disease:
Indigestion and nausea after eating (especially fatty foods)
Vomiting attacks
Pain in the right upper abdomen, which often radiates to the right
shoulder and back.
For prevention/treatment of gall bladder problems, improvment of the quality of the bile, by improving the liver function is necessary.
What causes gall stones?
Sometimes crystals precipitate out of the bile to form gallstones. Generally speaking the gall bladder becomes diseased or dysfunctional because the liver is producing unhealthy bile. The bile is either toxic or contains excess amounts of fat and bacteria.
Symptoms of gall stones:
The majority of gallstones stay in the gallbladder and cause no symptoms. However, if a stone moves it may obstruct the neck of the gall bladder or common bile duct giving rise to severe pain in the upper right side of the abdomen.
A stone in the common bile duct will frequently cause jaundice. Jaundice is a condition in which the skin and the eyes become yellow due to accumulated bile pigment. Some people with large stones in the gall bladder will never have any problems, and should not rush into surgery. In such cases you may want to try and dissolve the stones gradually over several years. Following an appropriate specific diet is in order as can be described later. Of course you will also be doing your liver a good service, as you will be removing the unhealthy fats from the liver.
Acute cholecystitis is when the gallbladder becomes distended and inflamed often with resulting localized peritonitis. It usually follows obstruction to the neck of the gallbladder or cystic duct by an impacted stone. Acute cholecystitis classically affects females in the 20 to 40 year age group but may occur at any age. The pain in the central and right upper abdomen is continuous and severe and increases in intensity over 24 hours. It frequently radiates around to the back and may be associated with nausea and vomiting. Fever is usual. The presence of gallstones and acute cholecystitis can usually be confirmed by an ultrasound scan. Repeated attacks of cholecystitis may occur if the condition remains untreated.
Treatment
Generally speaking the gall bladder becomes diseased or dysfunctional because the liver is producing unhealthy bile. The bile is either toxic or contains excess amounts of fat and bacteria. To improve gall bladder problems, we must improve the quality of the bile, by improving the liver function. Even after the gall bladder is removed there may still be problems in the bile ducts inside & outside the liver. This is because the underlying problem of toxic bile has not been corrected.
Indeed after gall bladder removal the following things may still happen
Stones & gravel may form in the bile ducts inside & outside the liver
The liver may develop fatty changes
Thus it is important to take extra care of your liver if you have gall bladder problems, or if you have had your gall bladder removed.
Diet
Try to maintain a normal body weight. Include often - high fiber foods like wholegrains, legumes, bran, raw fruits and vegetables, especially apples and pears; low-fat yoghurt; eggs; fish.
Avoid all dairy products
Avoid foods that contain high counts of bacteria, fungi and viruses these are all dairy products, preserved meats, delicatessen meats, hamburger meats, smoked meats, and processed or junk foods. This is because these foods will trigger or exacerbate gal bladder infections.
Avoid saturated animal fats including fatty meats, butter, cream, icecream, cheese, chocolate, biscuits, fried foods (most gallstones are composed of cholesterol found in animal fats); refined sugars and refined carbohydrates.
It is also recommended that you avoid red meat for about three months
Avoid artificial sweeteners
Drink plenty of filtered water throughout the day 8 10 glasses at least.
Dairy products, margarine & deep fried foods are the worst thing for your gall bladder & liver.
Orthodox Medical Treatment
Gallstones which are not causing any symptoms require no treatment. Acute cholecystitis is commonly managed conservatively with bed rest, nil by mouth and intravenous fluids, plus an antibiotic. Strong analgesia (pain relief) is also usually needed. As repeat attacks are likely, surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy) is recommended at some future date. This is also the preferred option for any gallstones which are causing symptoms. These days, the operation is frequently done via a laparoscope (operating telescope) requiring only a very small incision ("keyhole surgery"). This means a much shorter hospital stay and much faster recovery. Other possible treatments for gallstones include the administration of bile acid preparations which can be used to dissolve certain types of stones. This takes anything from six months to two years and after the treatment is stopped 50 percent of the gallstones recur, especially if you don't follow our dietary recommendations. For these reasons it is rarely advocated. Shock-wave treatment (lithotripsy) can be used in some cases to break up the stones, followed up by bile acid therapy. The role of this approach is still being evaluated.
By doing a flush of the gall bladder and then a cleansing of the liver, followed by proper dietary observence, surgery can be avoided.
