Date:   11/17/2004 2:42:45 PM ( 20 y ago)
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Gall Bladder Disease

What is the gall bladder?
The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ situated directly under the liver in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen.

What is the function of the gall bladder?
Its main function is to collect and concentrate the bile that the body uses to digest fats.

Problems with the gall bladder and biliary system are very common and consist of -
• Inflammation of the gall bladder and bile ducts
• Muscular spasms and/or poor contraction of the gall bladder wall
• Stones forming in the gall bladder and/or bile ducts
• Obstruction to the free flow of bile

Surgeons are often very keen to remove the gall bladder as it is believed that it 'serves no purpose' This is very untrue.

The process of bile production is an 'expensive' biochemical process. The body has developed the gall bladder to store bile that has been recovered from the bowel to be recycled - thus saving the liver from having to produce new batches. Therefore, the gall bladder is vitally important as it takes a lot of workload off the liver. If the gall bladder is diseased and dysfunctional - it is often due to the fact that the liver is under stress and is also dysfunctional. A dysfunctional liver will tend to produce toxic unhealthy bile.

What is bile?
Bile is a substance made in the liver cells (hepatocytes) consisting of water, electrolytes, bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids and bilirubin. It is a fat emulsifying agent helping to keep cholesterol levels in check. it also assists with absorption of certain nutrients, namely the fat soluble vitamins A, D E and K.

What causes gall bladder problems ?
• Production of toxic bile by the liver
• Inadequate production of bile by the liver
• Sluggish flow of bile
• Excess amounts of cholesterol in the bile resulting in stone formation
• Infection of the gall bladder
• Poor dietary choices with excess consumption of fatty foods, dairy products and fried foods.
• The hormonal changes of pregnancy
• The oral contraceptive pill and some types of hormone replacement therapy
• Some types of blood disorders

You may be suffering with chronic infections because your immune system is weakened and over loaded. To reduce the workload of the immune system it is vital to improve the liver function.

What are the symptoms of gall bladder disease?
• Indigestion and nausea after eating (especially fatty foods)
• Vomiting attacks
• Pain in the right upper abdomen, which often radiates to the right shoulder and back.

What can I do to help prevent/treat gall bladder problems?
To improve gall bladder problems, we must improve the quality of the bile, by improving the liver function. See suggestions below.

What causes gall stones?
Sometimes crystals precipitate out of the bile to form gallstones. Generally speaking the gall bladder becomes diseased or dysfunctional because the liver is producing unhealthy bile. The bile is either toxic or contains excess amounts of fat and bacteria.

What are the symptoms of gall stones?
The majority of Gallstones stay in the gallbladder and cause no symptoms. However, if a stone moves it may obstruct the neck of the gall bladder or common bile duct giving rise to severe pain in the upper right side of the abdomen.

A stone in the common bile duct will frequently cause jaundice. Jaundice is a condition in which the skin and the eyes become yellow due to accumulated bile pigment.

Some people with large stones in the gall bladder will never have any problems, and should not rush into surgery. In such cases you may want to try and dissolve the stones gradually over several years by following the recommendations given below. Of course you will also be doing your liver a good service, as you will be removing the unhealthy fats from the liver.

Acute cholecystitis is when the gallbladder becomes distended and inflamed often with resulting localized peritonitis. It usually follows obstruction to the neck of the gallbladder or cystic duct by an impacted stone. Acute cholecystitis classically affects females in the 20 to 40 year age group but may occur at any age. The pain in the central and right upper abdomen is continuous and severe and increases in intensity over 24 hours. It frequently radiates around to the back and may be associated with nausea and vomiting. Fever is usual. The presence of Gallstones and acute cholecystitis can usually be confirmed by an ultrasound scan. Repeated attacks of cholecystitis may occur if the condition remains untreated.



Treatment
Generally speaking the gall bladder becomes diseased or dysfunctional because the liver is producing unhealthy bile. The bile is either toxic or contains excess amounts of fat and bacteria. To improve gall bladder problems, we must improve the quality of the bile, by improving the liver function. Even after the gall bladder is removed there may still be problems in the bile ducts inside & outside the liver. This is because the underlying problem of toxic bile has not been corrected.

Indeed after gall bladder removal the following things may still happen –
• Stones & gravel may form in the bile ducts inside & outside the liver
• The liver may develop fatty changes

Thus it is important to take extra care of your liver if you have gall bladder problems, or if you have had your gall bladder removed.



Diet
• The best general eating principles are outlined on pages 20 to 28 of Dr Cabot’s “Healthy Liver & Bowel Book” or following the eight week program found in "The Liver Cleansing Diet"

• Try to maintain a normal body weight. If overweight follow the program in "Can't Lose Weight? You Could Have Syndrome X" by Dr Cabot

• Include often - high fiber foods like wholegrains, legumes, bran, raw fruits and vegetables, especially apples and pears; low-fat yoghurt; eggs; fish.

• Avoid all dairy products – see www.notmilk.com

• Avoid foods that contain high counts of bacteria, fungi and viruses – these are all dairy products, preserved meats, delicatessen meats, hamburger meats, smoked meats, and processed or junk foods. This is because these foods will trigger or exacerbate gal bladder infections.

• Avoid saturated animal fats including fatty meats, butter, cream, icecream, cheese, chocolate, biscuits, fried foods (most Gallstones are composed of cholesterol found in animal fats); refined sugars and refined carbohydrates.

• Include health fats such as cold pressed nut and seed oils and foods rich in essential fats such as cold water fish, avocados etc. Good fats are important for the health of the gall bladder. An extremely low fat/no fat diet is NOT recommended.

• We also recommend that you avoid red meat for about three months

• Avoid artificial sweeteners see www.dorway.com

• Drink plenty of filtered water throughout the day – 8 – 10 glasses at least.

Remember: Dairy products, margarine & deep fried foods are the worst thing for your gall bladder & liver!

http://www.liverdoctor.com/Section4/gallbladder.asp

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