Gallstones
Gallstones
Like a good friend, the gallbladder quietly serves us well until we mistreat it and it demands our attention. Located on the right side of the body under the liver, the gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ that aids in digestion. Its main function is to store bile from the liver until the bile is needed to break down fats during digestion.
If too much cholesterol or calcium is in the bile, gallstones can form, but that in itself is not always a problem. Most people with gallstones never even know that they have these deposits, which can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Sometimes, when gallstones pass through a duct, they can get stuck, and that can cause a gallbladder attack. You’d know if you had one: You’d experience pain in your upper-middle or right abdomen, moving around to your back; nausea; and vomiting. These are all signs of gallstone problems, says Robert Charm, M.D., gastroenterologist in Walnut Creek, California, and professor of gastroenterology and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis. At that point, surgery is sometimes the best option.
If others in your family have had the problem or if you’re overweight, you could be more prone to gallstones. Women who have had several children or who are on estrogen replacement therapy also tend to have a higher risk of developing gallstones, says Roger Gebhard, M.D., gastroenterologist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at the University of Minnesota, both in Minneapolis. While many older people have gallstones, age doesn’t put you at risk for them. But once you have gallstones, they don’t go away on their own, explains Dr. Gebhard.
| Managing Your Meds Thankfully, hardly any drugs can cause gallstones to develop or worsen. But gemfibrozil (Lopid), a drug prescribed to reduce triglyceride blood levels and raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, has been linked to gallstone formation, says W. Steven Pray, Ph.D., R.Ph., a professor of nonprescription drug products at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. If you’ve been using this drug, talk to your doctor about this side effect. He may wish to prescribe an alternative. |
Even if sex and heredity are ganging up to raise your risk, that doesn’t mean you’re destined to get gallstones. Here are some things you can do to discourage the stones from getting started.
Try This First
Eat light. Since being overweight is a common risk factor for gallstones, do what you can to keep the weight off. Especially steer clear of large fatty meals, says Mike Cantwell, M.D., clinician and coordinator for clinical research at the Institute for Health and Healing at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. “Fat makes the gallbladder work harder, increasing the likelihood of gallstones.’’
Other Wise Ways
Lose a little at a time. While it’s important to avoid being overweight, don’t embark on a crash diet to get there. Losing weight fast can actually increase your risk of developing gallstones, explains Dr. Cantwell. Yo-yo dieting (a cycle of quick weight loss followed by weight gain) is especially hard on the gallbladder. It creates a situation where the gallbladder sits unused for a time, then suddenly gets overused. This stop-start activity only increases the likelihood of gallstone formation. A slow, steady weight-loss program that includes regular meals of low-fat foods and plenty of exercise is the way to go.
Put on your walking shoes. If you don’t exercise regularly, you could be risking gallstones. Regular exercise steps up metabolism (the pace of energy-burning), notes Dr. Charm. “When metabolism is slow, small gallstones can develop. Even simple activities like stretching or walking help gallbladder health.’’
Pump up the fiber. Yet another reason for eating meals high in fiber is that it’ll reduce gallstone risk, says Dr. Charm. “Fiber helps lower cholesterol produced by the liver.” And cholesterol, remember, is one of the building blocks of gallstones.
