7 signs and symptoms of gallstones that are often overlooked
Every human being has a gallbladder in his body. This organ is located under the liver, and functions to store bile. That way, the body will digest fat and some vitamins.
Bile is composed of bile salts, water, cholesterol, and lecithin. Normally, your bile contains various substances that can dissolve the cholesterol.
However, if the liver secretes more cholesterol than your bile can dissolve, it will form crystals.
If it lasts a long time, more and more of these crystals will form and can coalesce, thus triggering gallstones.
Another cause of the appearance of gallstones is excessive bilirubin production, or the result of the gallbladder not being able to empty itself properly.
Most cases of gallstones do not show typical symptoms. Symptoms of new gallstones appear when they are large enough. Symptoms include:
1. Sudden Right Upper Abdominal Pain
Gallstones can cause severe abdominal pain. The location of the pain can occur in the middle of the stomach, or the upper right side which spreads to the right side of the back.
Symptoms of gallstones can occur suddenly and last 1 to 5 hours. Pain will appear usually after you eat fatty foods.
These foods trigger contractions in your gallbladder to secrete bile.
2. Nausea and Vomiting
People with gallstones can experience digestive tract symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting.
However, because this symptom is not so typical, sometimes you don't really pay attention that it could indicate the presence of gallstones.
In people with gallstone problems, nausea and vomiting usually occur together with abdominal pain.
3. Fever
The presence of gallstones can block the flow of bile, which can cause gallbladder infection.
If an infection has occurred, then symptoms of fever may appear.
4. Yellow all over the body
Other characteristics of gallstones can be observed through the body which looks yellowish.
Gallstones that block the bile duct will interfere with the work of the liver. If that happens, your body will appear yellow, especially in the eyes.
This condition occurs as a result of accumulation of fluid bilirubin in the body.
A large amount of bilirubin in the body will spread throughout the body through the blood, so it will make your body appear yellow.
Other Articles: Must Know, This is the Difference between Gallstones and Kidney Stones!
5. Changes in Urine Color
Some people with gallstones will experience a change in the color of their urine.
Symptoms of gallstone pain are urine that tends to be darker, even if they have drunk lots of water.
This condition is caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the body.
6. Skin feels itchy
One of the symptoms of gallstone disease is itchy skin.
The itching appears as a result of accumulated bile salts due to blockage of the bile ducts leading to the intestine.
7. Loss of Appetite
Due to disruption of the digestive process, people with gallstones will usually lose their appetite.
And when eating, especially if you eat a lot of oily food, symptoms of gallstones will appear.
To prevent gallstones from forming in your body, start avoiding high cholesterol foods and alcoholic beverages.
Apart from that, you also need to consume fiber-rich intake and drink 10-12 glasses of water per day.
If you already have gallstones, then immediately consult your condition to a doctor to get further treatment.
That way, the emergence of dangerous complications from this disease, such as cholangitis, pancreatitis, gangrenous cholecystitis, and others, can be prevented.
Those are the symptoms of gallstones to watch out for. Remember that gallstones are a dangerous condition that can reduce the quality of life for sufferers. Stay alert by always adopting a healthy lifestyle.
If you want to consult about healthy living guidelines to prevent gallstones, you can chat a doctor using the Ask a Doctor feature or make an appointment directly with a doctor using the Meet Doctor feature in the KlikDokter application.
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Gallstones
7 Tanda dan Gejala Batu Empedu yang Sering Disepelekan
Setiap manusia memiliki kantung empedu di dalam tubuhnya. Organ ini terletak di bawah hati, dan berfungsi untuk menampung cairan empedu. Dengan begitu, tubuh akan mencerna lemak dan beberapa vitamin.
Cairan empedu tersusun atas garam empedu, air, kolesterol, dan lesitin. Normalnya, empedu kamu mengandung berbagai zat yang dapat melarutkan kolesterol tersebut.
Namun, jika hati menyekresi sejumlah kolesterol yang lebih banyak daripada yang empedumu mampu larutkan, maka kolesterol tersebut akan membentuk kristal.
Jika berlangsung lama, kristal-kristal tersebut akan makin banyak terbentuk dan dapat menyatu sehingga memicu batu empedu.