Our President successfully had his #GallStones removed !
Let's learn about our Presidents recent illness ...
GALLBLADDER
What Are Gallstones?
By Diana Rodriguez
Gallstones can cause severe abdominal pain — or, you may have no symptoms at all.
Having gallstones, also called cholelithiasis, is a very common problem, but it's most common among women, people older than age 40, and Native Americans.
The gallbladder is a sac that stores a substance called bile, which is produced by the liver.
After meals, the gallbladder contracts and releases bile into the intestines to aid in digestion.
Gallstones occur when one of the substances that make up the bile (usually a waste product called bilirubin, or cholesterol) becomes too concentrated and forms a hard stone.
Often gallstones just sit in the gallbladder and don’t cause problems. But sometimes they block the exit from the gallbladder, called the cystic duct.
When this occurs, the gallbladder goes into spasms and becomes inflamed, a condition called cholecystitis.
An episode of cholecystitis may resolve on its own, or it may progress to a more serious condition involving bacterial infection of the inflamed gallbladder.
Causes of Gallstones
Many different factors can cause gallstones. Some possible causes include:
Excess bilirubin in the bile
Excess cholesterol in the bile
A non-stone-related blockage in the gallbladder that prevents proper emptying
Low bile concentration of a substance called bile salts
Risk Factors
The risk factors for gallstones include:
A family history of gallstones
Taking medications to lower cholesterol levels
Having diabetes
A rapid, large loss of weight
Taking birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy
Being pregnant
Being overweight
Eating a diet rich in fat and cholesterol and without enough fiber
Gallstone Symptoms
It's not uncommon for gallstones to cause no symptoms at all, and to be diagnosed during screening and testing for some other health problem.
But, in many people, gallstones can cause the symptoms of cholecystitis, including:
Abdominal pain in the right upper part of the abdomen
Back pain, particularly located between your shoulder blades
Pain beneath the right shoulder blade
Pain in those areas which comes on quickly, worsens, and persists for at least 30 minutes, and may even last for a few hours
Fever with chills
Vomiting and nausea
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
Stools the color of clay
Pain that strikes after eating a fatty meal
Indigestion, bloating, and gas
If you have any of these symptoms, it’s possible that gallstones may be to blame, so it's important to head to your doctor for an exam and to get started on treatment.
Gallstones may also rarely be an indication of gallbladder cancer, so it's best to get the problem correctly diagnosed right away.
Diagnosis
If gallstones are suspected, your doctor may order an imaging test.
This might include an ultrasound, which uses sound waves to visualize the area.
Another frequently used test is an oral cholecystogram (OCG), which uses X-rays to show the gallbladder after the patient swallows pills containing a dye.
Another procedure, called a HIDA scan, involves injection of a small amount of a harmless radioactive substance.
Sometimes gallstones show up as an incidental finding on other tests, such as a CT scan.
Gallstone Treatment
There are a number of options for treating gallstones, depending on symptoms and how severe they are.
Possible treatment methods for gallstones include:
Surgery: The gallbladder is often surgically removed, but generally only if you experience severe symptoms.
Significant advancements have been made with cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal surgery. It's now a less invasive procedure using laparoscopic technology.
Tiny incisions are made, recovery is quick, and you may not even have to spend the night in the hospital following surgery.
Dietary changes: Your doctor may recommend that you switch to a healthier, low-fat diet to help relieve your gallstone symptoms.
Medication: A few types of medications, including bile salts, work to slowly break down small gallstones to reduce pain and symptoms. Not everyone is a good candidate for this type of gallstone therapy.
Lithotripsy: Forceful sound waves are aimed directly at the gallstones to break them into tiny fragments, usually followed by medications to dissolve these pieces.
Painkillers: These may be recommended to control pain during an acute attack of cholecystitis.
As for new treatment techniques, one experimental gallstone treatment involves injecting the gallbladder with a medication that dissolves the gallstones in a matter of days.
But there are side effects. This therapy is being tested in patients whose gallstones are small.
Masifundeni bakithi ! Our President is recovering ! Let's find a way to avoid this ... Ok ?
#iLoveYou&YourBody
Kha'bodacious Moves!
www.khabodacious.co.za
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