Gallstones and Homeopathy

The gallbladder is a small little pouch that is shaped like a pear, and it is located behind the liver. Its primary duty is to save the cholesterol-rich bile that’s secreted from the liver. Bile helps the body digest fatty foods.

Therefore, when that bit of fatty steak reaches the intestines, they deliver a note to send down some bile from the gallbladder. After this the fatty food becomes easier to digest and readily makes its way through the remainder of the digestive procedure.

Gallstones (also known as cholelithiasis) are pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder. These stones develop because cholesterol and pigments in bile sometimes form hard particles. Gallstones usually form in the gallbladder; however, they also may form anywhere there is bile; in the intrahepatic, hepatic, common bile, and cystic ducts. A gallstone is a crystalline concretion formed within the gallbladder by accretion of bile components. These calculi are formed in the gallbladder but may distally pass into other parts of the biliary tract such as the cystic duct, common bile duct, pancreatic duct.

Types of Gall Stones

On the basis of their composition, gallstones can be divided into the following types:

Cholesterol stones vary from light yellow to dark green or brown and are oval, between 2 and 3 cm long, each often having a tiny, dark, central spot. To be classified as such, they must be at least 80% cholesterol by weight (or 70%, according to the Japanese- classification system).
Pigment stones are small and dark and comprise bilirubin and calcium salts that are found in bile. They contain less than 20% of cholesterol (or 30%, according to the Japanese classification system).
Mixed gallstones typically contain 20–80% cholesterol (or 30– 70%, according to the Japanese classification system). Other common constituents are calcium carbonate, palmitate phosphate, bilirubin, and other bile pigments. Because of their calcium content, they are often radio graphically visible.

Causes of Gallstones

Gallstone risk increases for females (especially before menopause) and for people near or above 40 years. Several factors may come together to create gallstones, including: Genetics, Body weight, Decreased motility (movement) of the gallbladder, Diet.

Gallstones can form when there is an imbalance in the substances that make up bile. For instance, cholesterol stones may develop as a result of too much cholesterol in the bile. Another cause may be the inability of the gallbladder to empty properly.

Pigment stones are more common in people with certain medical conditions, such as cirrhosis (a liver disease in which scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue) or blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

Risk factors for Gallstones

Genetics. If other people in your family have had gallstones, you are at increased risk of developing gallstones.
Obesity. This is one of the biggest risk factors. Obesity can cause a rise in cholesterol and can also keep the gallbladder from emptying completely.
Estrogen. Estrogen can increase cholesterol and reduce gallbladder motility. Women who are pregnant or who take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy have higher levels of estrogen and may be more likely to develop gallstones.
Gender and age. Gallstones are more common among women and older people.
Cholesterol drugs. Some cholesterol-lowering drugs increase the amount of cholesterol in bile, which may increase the chances of developing cholesterol stones.
Diabetes. People with diabetes tend to have higher levels of triglycerides (a type of blood fat), which is a risk factor for gallstones.
Rapid weight loss. If a person loses weight too quickly, his or her liver secretes extra cholesterol, which may lead to gallstones. Also, fasting may cause the gallbladder to contract less.

Diet Causing Gallstones

The role of diet in the formation of gallstones is not clear. We do know that anything that increases the level of cholesterol in the blood increases the risk of gallstones. It is reasonable to assume that a diet with large amounts of cholesterol and other fats increases the risk of gallstones, but it is also important to remember that the amount of cholesterol in our bile has no relationship to our blood cholesterol. Losing weight rapidly seems to increase the risk of gallstones and so does skipping meals. Obesity is a risk factor for gallstones. Eating a fatty or greasy meal can precipitate the symptoms of gallstones.

Most people with gallstones have no symptoms called “silent gallstones”. In fact, they are usually unaware that they have gallstones unless symptoms occur.

Symptoms usually occur as complications develop. The most common symptom is pain in the right upper part of the abdomen. Because the pain comes in episodes, it is often referred to as an “attack.”

Attacks may occur every few days, weeks, or months; they may even be separated by years.

The pain usually starts within 30 minutes after a fatty or greasy meal. The pain is usually severe, dull, and constant, and can last from one to five hours. It may radiate to the right shoulder or back. It occurs frequently at night and may awaken the person from sleep.
The pain may make the person want to move around to seek relief, but many patients prefer to lay still and wait for the attack to subside.
Other common symptoms of gallstones include nausea and vomiting, fever, indigestion, belching, bloating, intolerance for fatty or greasy foods, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes).
Warning signs of a serious problem are fever, jaundice, and persistent pain.

Homoeopathic Management*

A constitutional remedy chosen by an experienced Homoeopathic prescriber is the most appropriate way to heal deep-seated, serious, or chronic conditions.

Homoeopathic holistic method involves detail history taking by concentrating on general physical make up of person, diet, life style, sedentary habits, physical build up, food eating habits, appetite, stool, perspiration, body weight, present signs & symptoms, any past medication history or drug history, bowel habits, disordered from particular foods, sleep and temperament.

Homoeopathy helps in the disease by dissolving the stone through proper remedies. With homoeopathic therapy one can successfully control the pain as well as the swelling of gall bladder. It also arrests further development of the gall bladder stones. To avoid recurrence of gall stone Constitutional remedy must be given.

Diet Management

Natural therapy:

Lemon Juice - Drink freshly squeezed lemons each day on an empty stomach.
Mix the juice of beets, carrots and cucumbers and drink it twice daily.
Pour honey in 1 teaspoon of turmeric and have it every day.
Drink one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Gallstone pain is relieved by this very quickly. Mix it with apple juice if you can’t stand the taste.
Soluble fibre helps to control metabolic rate and supports the elimination of cholesterol from our bodies. Eat cereals and other grains that are high in fiber.
Obtaining lots of vitamin C to have in your daily diet will assist you with the prevention of gallstones.
There is a study that is discovering that omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon, can help in the prevention of gallstones.
Consuming vegetables is a great way to keep gallstones away.

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