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They may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Once they’re that big, you’ll probably feel the symptoms. As the gallstones grow, they begin to obstruct the bile ducts. These hard formations can also form when the bile contains too much cholesterol or bilirubin for reasons other than problems with gallbladder emptying.
There are a number of imaging tests that your healthcare provider may use to diagnose gallstones as well as to rule out other conditions. You may have some blood work done to check for infection or inflammation of your liver, pancreas, bile ducts, or gallbladder. Results from a blood test may indicate whether there’s an infection or inflammation in the gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas, or even the liver. Chronic cholangitis can result in scarring and narrowing of the bile ducts .
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It’s most common among individuals who are over 65 years old. Medications you take by mouth may help dissolve gallstones. But it may take months or years of treatment to dissolve your gallstones in this way, and gallstones will likely form again if treatment is stopped. You don't need your gallbladder to live, and gallbladder removal doesn't affect your ability to digest food, but it can cause diarrhea, which is usually temporary. Symptoms of gallbladder disease fall into a few different categories. People with diabetes are two to three times more likely to have gallstones, possibly due to higher levels of fatty acids.
In some cases, you might need additional imaging within 24 hours if original images aren't satisfactory. The scanner will be placed over the abdominal area in order to detect the gamma rays emitted by the radionuclide in the gallbladder tissue. A series of images will be taken at intervals until the gallbladder is visualized. If you are pregnant or suspect that you may be pregnant, you should notify your health care provider due to the risk of injury to the fetus from a gallbladder scan.
Risks
Inflammation makes your gallbladder swell and builds up pressure inside it. This can also cause bile to back up as a secondary effect. If a diagnosis of gallbladder disease is not certain after an ultrasound, a HIDA scan may be performed. This test allows for the visualization of bile movement through the bile duct system.
Some people develop only one gallstone, while others develop several. As the gallstones grow in size, they can begin to block the channels that lead out of the gallbladder. In fact, many people have gallstones and aren’t aware of them. They eventually cause problems, including inflammation, infection, and pain. Dark urine is a potential sign of a common bile duct block.
Treatment
Gallstones are more frequent in people over the age of 60, probably because they’ve had more time for extra bile products to accumulate. This method uses radio active material, Hydroxy Iminodiacetic Acid , which is injected into the patient which then helps in monitoring the functioning of the gallbladder. There are a number of tests used to diagnose gallbladder problems. These tests are conducted by experts and can be very helpful in finding out the actual reason behind the problem.
Inability to see the radioactive tracer in your gallbladder might indicate acute inflammation . The radioactive tracer moved freely with the bile from your liver into your gallbladder and small intestine. To make a diagnosis, your doctor will consider your signs and symptoms and other test results with the results of your HIDA scan. A nuclear medicine scanner tracks the flow of the tracer from your liver into your gallbladder and small intestine and creates computer images. Jaundice is one of the gallbladder symptoms which indicates a backup of bile pigments in the blood.
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Contrast dye is injected into this small tube to light up the bile duct system, which can be seen through x-rays. If a person experiences significant pain during this test (called a positive "Murphy sign"), it suggests he or she may have gallbladder disease. During an abdominal exam, your healthcare provider will note whether or not a finding called "guarding" is present. The abdominal wall muscles of a person with acute cholecystitis may tense up and spasm to "guard" inflamed organs when the abdomen is pressed upon. An abdominal X-ray, and a computed tomography are also non-invasive ways to create detailed X-ray images of the abdominal organs and structures such as bile ducts. A small amount of radioactive dye is administered, and then a scanning device is used to track the dye as it moves into the gallbladder.
Gangrene of the gallbladder is one of the more serious complications of chronic cholecystitis. Sustained swelling and distension of the gallbladder from chronic inflammation can eventually lead to tissue death. A perforation in the gallbladder wall can put the rest of the abdominal cavity at risk of infection . This is one reason why it’s important to take cholecystitis seriously. The gallbladder behaves as a storage organ for bile which is produced by liver. Any problems with this organ may hamper the functioning of the body.
Lighter-colored stools is a possible sign of a common bile duct block. Marked by yellow-tinted skin, it may be a sign of a block or stone in the common bile duct. Medications for gallstones aren't commonly used and are reserved for people who can't undergo surgery. This condition causes a build up of bilirubin in the gallbladder, leading to the less-common pigmented type gallstones.
Narrowing of the bile ducts can also be seen with an ERCP, and a stent can be placed to keep the duct open. Lastly, during an ERCP, the healthcare provider can take a tissue sample of any suspicious polyps or masses. There are natural alternatives that not only will prevent and eliminate gallbladder attacks, but will help tackle the problem at the source, the gallstones.
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