Gallstones are stones that form in the fluid called gall (bile) which is present in the sac below liver called gall bladder. Bile is a watery liquid made by the cells of the liver that is important for digesting food in the intestine, particularly fat. Liver cells secrete the bile they make into small canals in the liver. The bile flows through these canals and in bigger ducts in the liver known as the intrahepatic bile ducts. From the intrahepatic bile ducts bile then flows out of the liver to the extrahepatic bile ducts. Initially the bile flows from the hepatic bile ducts, then to the common hepatic duct, and lastly in the common bile duct. From here the bile takes two directions of its flow. The first is to common bile duct to the intestine where the bile mixes with food and promotes digestion of food. The second is to the cystic duct, and from there to the gallbladder. Water portion of bile is absorbed in gallbladder and the bile is concentrated. During a meal the wall of the gallbladder contracts and pushes the concentrated bile from the gallbladder back into the intestine through the cystic duct and common duct. (Concentrated bile is far better for digestion than the un-concentrated bile that goes from the liver straight into the intestine. Gallstones usually form in the gallbladder; however, they also may form anywhere there is bile; in the intrahepatic, hepatic, common bile, and cystic ducts. Gallstones are made up of cholesterol or calcium salts that form in the gallbladder or other bile ducts. Some people with gallstones have a gallbladder attack that can cause symptoms, such as nausea and an intense, steady ache in their upper abdomen usually on middle or upper right side of abdomen. The gallstone pain can be mild or severe and intermittent. Complications from gallstones can be serious, and even fatal, if left untreated.

Gallstone symptoms include:

• Chronic indigestion

• Upper abdominal pain – variable in intensity and duration.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Fever.

Symptoms of bile duct obstruction:

• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

• Clay-colored stools

• Fever

Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball and may be smooth and round or irregular with a number of edges. You can have just one stone or hundreds of them.

There are two types of gallstones:
Cholesterol gallstones: These are yellow in color, are made up of undissolved cholesterol. They may have other components, such as calcium and bilirubin.

Pigment gallstones:
These are dark brown or black stones formed mainly out of excessive bilirubin in the bile.

What favors gallstone formation?

• Too much cholesterol

• Incomplete or infrequent gallbladder emptying

Who are prone to get gallstone:
Positive family history for gallstone

• Sex: Women are more prone to have gallstone then men

• Body weight: obese people are more likely to suffer from gallstone

• Diet: people adopting vigorous weight loss diet which is Low-calorie, are more prone to

• Age: Gallstone is more common in older higher age group.

Complications of gallstones may include:

• Blockage of the common bile duct.

• Inflammation of the pancreas

• Gallbladder cancer.

Role of Homeopathy in Gallstone:
Gallstone as we have seen may present as a non harmful silent entity in the abdomen without causing much of discomfort and hardly needs any treatment. But when the gallstone is impacted or obstructed or there is an infection the situation can be a serious surgical emergency. In milder forms of pain and other symptoms of indigestion which are related to gallstone are very much relieved with homeopathy. We have not experienced yet of removal of gallstone with homeopathic treatment. Although we have read experiences of many homeopaths of older and recent times that they have been successful in removing gallstone with homeopathy. Those gallstones which do not need urgent surgical removal are very well managed by homeopathy. Proper homeopathic treatment for your problems related to digestion can prevent forming gallstones. Besides there are several other c9onditionns giving rise to formation of gallstone like high cholesterol levels, anemia, faulty diet plans. Proper treatment of all these causes with homeopathic medicine and right kind of advise on your diet can help you keep your self away from getting gallstones and if you already have gallstone you may be able to avoid surgery with homeopathic treatment when your gallstone is not in a state of an acute surgical condition.


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