Which are the most popular procedures for dealing with gallstones and are there any alternative gallstones treatment (s)?
Most articles concerning gallstones on the web provide you with the same information on the common signs and symptoms to this condition, but they fail to provide you with effective solutions that go beyond “seek medical advice.” In this article, you won’t just be shown why and how gallstones are developed, what prior conditions cause the formation of gallbladder stones, as well as gallstone treatment (s) may help you lessen or get rid of them completely. This site is dedicated to helping you find solutions to gallbladder problems and related symptoms.
The approximate number of Americans with gallstones is nearly twenty million even though some of them are asymptomatic (‘silent gallstones’), but nonetheless they are there.
Because gallstones grow in size under the standard diet, it is a matter of time before ‘silent gallstones’ have grown to the point where they cause more serious symptoms and pain.
Why Are Gallstones More Prevalent Nowadays?
Gallstone development and gallbladder disorders are relatively modern disorders that became progressively more common when dietary choices and lifestyles significantly shifted towards the wide spread consumption of junk foods and other commercially manufactured foods that are laden with preservatives, artificial flavors, chemical additives, fat, and hormones. Yes, they do have longer shelf life and that is good for the distributor, but is it good for the consumer? Yes, they do have higher ‘fill value’, but they have little or no nutritional value and that is precisely why there is no feeling of satiety; that is why you have to keep eating, because they body has not gotten the required nutrition from the so called meal. This is the major reason for most eating disorders.
A current study done concerning the conventional gallstones treatment at the University Hospital of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, found that the incidence of gallbladder gallbladder surgery including stone development, went up by 600% in that country when they decided to change from their more conventional, non-processed and simple foods common with their nomadic existence, to a more sedentary way of life that integrated various “enriched,” fat-laden, highly sweetened foods and snacks of the more ‘developed’ western world in to their diet.
Fact is, those nations that have adopted a far more western way of living have a higher incidence of gallbladder ailments including gallstones, as well as a significant increase in gallbladder diseases. With that said, gallbladder surgery and other related forms of gallstones treatment intervention have become very common nowadays.
The Process Of Formation of Gallstones
A gallbladder attack occurs when gallstones press against around surrounding tissue and is manifested as a discomfort at the right side underneath the rib cage or by the right shoulder as referred pain. Gallstones can block the flow of bile and cause swelling.
Generally, the liver acts as a filter and cleanses the blood for the entire body. The common standard American diet is comprised of acid-forming foods that are processed and laden with a slew of chemical additives, preservatives, hormones, refined fats, soft drinks, refined carbohydrates, and junk foods. In addition to that, many also smoke cigarettes, consume large amounts of alcohol as well as other substances that could prevent the absorption of minerals and vitamins. When the liver is unable to break down many of these chemical substances and additives, undue strain is put on it.
In the event that the liver is unable of getting rid of these toxins, they circulate through out the body as free radicals. Fat-soluble toxins are normally eliminated via stool, but when the liver is over congested they get deposited around tissues across the body. This is the main cause of weight gain and obesity. Water-soluble toxins are usually eliminated via urine. They put undue stress on the kidneys. The increased level of toxins cause liver congestion or gallstones.
Some of the things that could lead to gallstones are increased level of toxins and high level of protein in the capillary system. When the bile has become saturated enough with cholesterol proteins as well as other substances, it starts to thicken. That is when cholesterol levels skyrocket. This mixture results in the creation ofcholesterol gallstones or cholesterol deposits.
Calcium is often used by the body as a precipitant. This means that it attaches itself to toxic waste and the result is a precipitate known as a calcium gallstones. This is a defense mechanism.
Usually, bile contains fats, bile salts, cholesterol, protein and bilirubin that are responsible for the yellowish-brown color of bile and stool. Bile salts break up fat, but if the liquid bile contains too much cholesterol, bile salts, or bilirubin, it hardens into gallstones.
Factors That Contribute To The Formation Of Gallstones
Estrogen Replacement Therapy (HRT):
In modern times gall stones have become especially common in women who use birth control pills or are getting estrogen replacement therapy (HRT), since estrogen have been known to increase cholesterol levels in bile and lessen gallbladder movement which in turn can cause development of gallstones. (1) (2)
Excessive TV Watching:
A study also confirms that men who spend more than 40 hours of watching TV weekly have a higher risk of having gallstones as opposed to those who only watch 6 hours of TV per week. This is according to the findings of a team of researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston as reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 1998.
Long Periods of Inactivity Sitting Down:
A somewhat similar study was conducted with female subjects and discovered that those who spend more that 40 hours per week of watching television, reading, sitting and driving a car have a 400% risk of developing gallstones when compared to those spend less than 6 hours in doing these activities.
Inactivity and poor dietary habits are major contributors to gallstones.
Listed here are a few of the dietary factors that increase the likelihood of getting gallstones, gallbladder attacks and gallbladder and liver problems:
If You Partake Of These, You Are At High Risk Of Having Gallstones:
➭ Excessive protein consumption
➭ Fast weight loss programs
➭ Low fat diets
➭ The Atkins diet – Which is made up of mostly protein and no carbs
➭ Fatty foods / fried foods
➭ Alcohol
➭ Regular consumption of dairy products
➭ Consumption of refined sugars and starches
➭ Inadequate water consumption – excluding refreshments and soft drinks, fruit drinks
➭ Pharmaceutical medications
➭ Taking cholesterol lowering drugs for extended periods
➭ Hormone replacement drugs (HRT)
➭ Skipping meals and eating too late in the day
➭ Long-term use of birth control pills
Other Risk Factors:
➭ Obesity – This is a major factor in the formation of gallstones.
➭ Immunosupression – raises the chances of having gallbladder infections
➭ A sedentary lifestyle
➭ Diabetes
➭ Liver problems
➭ Being allergic to certain types of food
➭ Intestinal surgery
➭ Cirrhosis of the liver
➭ Blood disorders
➭ Parasitic infections
A Toxic Body Is A Body With Gallstones
Size: The sizes of gallstones can vary. They can be as small as a grain of sand, or as large as a golf ball.
Composition: Eighty percent (80%) of gallstones are cholesterol stones. The other twenty percent are primarily composed of calcium salts. The latter ones are known as pigmented stones or calcified stones.
Blockage of Vital Pathways: When the liver is congested, it adversely influences every other area of the body. This is because another significant liver function is to provide nutrients to the rest of the body. Gallstones in your liver obstruct the pathways used to transport nutrients to organs and cells across the body.
Toxicity: Gallstones are extremely toxic. The body’s inability to process waste effectively brings about an accumulation of toxins, not only in the liver, but across the entire body. Blocked liver elimination pathways cause a rise in toxins in the body. If they cannot be purged, then they are distributed across the body. This is the reason why many individuals have fatty looking waist lines and thighs, because some of these toxins are fat-soluble so they get stored within fatty tissues in these aforementioned areas. Obviously, the more waste generated, the more damage the body will incur.
Stone formations are usually considered inconsequential and are hardly ever taken seriously with probably the exception of when there is swelling or an infection (acute cholecystitis). A congested liver poses a major threat to the well-being of the body, because the liver has over 200 functions. Gallstones are only the symptom.
Undetectable Gallstones
Calcified gallstones can be detected by typical diagnostic tests, however, cholesterol rich gallstones cannot be identified by way of ultrasound or CT Scan (X ray) because they are primarily comprised of the same elements as the rest of surrounding liquid or fluid bile. The only time gallstones can be detected through ultrasound is when you have been diagnosed with a fatty liver.
Gallstones form in the liver: The reason why gallstones form in the liver is because that is where bile is manufactured. Consequently, gallstones can be found anywhere bile is found. This includes the liver, bile ducts, and even at the mouth of the pancreas.
Gallstones Treatment Options
Common treatment (s) for gallstones are:
Medications: The most widely prescribed drug based gallstones treatment chosen by physicians for the dissolution of stones is ursodeoxycholic acid or Actigall. This gallstones treatment are oral medications that are taken to dissolve stones when they are small enough. The downside is these medications don’t work on calcified stones and take 2 yrs before they will take effect on cholesterol gallstones. Apart from that, these medications are also known to be drugs with adverse effects which can include rare skin and diarreah. (3) A study based on 1,211 FDA reports on the side effects of ursodeoxycholic acid have reported severe exhaustion, fatigue, lethargy, tiredness, weariness, decreased appetite, nausea, anaemia, hepatic failure and depression among others. (4)
Lithotripsy: For bigger gallstones, some physicians recommend this gallstones treatment via a machine that sends high-energy shock waves through the body to break up apart stones.
In a study concluded in at the Mayo Clinic in 2006, experts found that individuals that underwent lithotripsy were more likely to get certain debilitating health problems later in life.(5) The study shows that patients that have gone through lithotripsy have greater odds of incurring high blood pressure and diabetes. Shockwaves cannot be contained within a specific area. They affect all surrounding organs. Sometimes the treatment can be worst than the original ailment.
Surgical Removal Of The Gallbladder: Gallbladder surgery is the most widely recommended form of gallstones treatment. The reason is it is a 45 minute relatively simple operation that doctors can charge anywhere from $6,000 to $26,000. The widespread use of this gallstones treatment among the medical profession stems forth from the belief that the gallbladder is a non-essential organ for survival.
Nonetheless, there are some studies that have challenged its efficacy. Recent studies suggest that more than half of the patients who have gone through gallbladder surgery for gallstones returned to their doctors with the same or worst digestive symptoms as before their surgery. (6), (7), (8)
Alternative Gallstones Treatment Options
The Pulverexx Protocol©: This is a non-invasive, all natural alternative treatment for gallstones. It avoids the risks of medications and medical procedures. This gallstones treatment method does three things: First it is able to overcome gallbladder pain within days. Then it either minimizes the size of the gallstones or completely dissolves them before they are passed. It is a 30 days program that works on calcified and cholesterol gallstones. It also eliminates sludge and mucous in the gallbladder.
Think of it from another perspective: Most people spend more time taking care of their own cars than of their own bodies. Putting fuel in your car is not enough without the proper maintenance. Without it the car would eventually die out. Similarly, our body must be given proper internal maintenance. Cleansing the liver and gallbladder to dissolve gallstones, purge sludge and toxins is of paramount importance.
You can find out more about the Pulverexx Protocol and other gallstones treatment options by clicking here.
Other things to consider:
Eating more foods that are rich with fiber, such as fruits and veggies, is also recommended as it is reducing or eliminating the consumption of junk foods and meats.
The kinds of foods you eat can have a direct effect on whether you develop gallstones or not. A landmark study (Nurses’ Health Study) reveals that gallbladder occurrences were lessened when women consumed at least 5 ounces of nuts each week.(9) This study was done based on the data accumulated from 80,000 women and their dietary habits. This minimized the potential risk of developing gallstones by a whopping 25 percent.
References
(1) Hart AR et al. Hormone replacement therapy and symptomatic gallstones – a prospective population study in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. Digestion. 2008;77(1):4-9. Epub 2008 Jan 21.
(2) Srinivas Kalala, MD, et al. Postmenopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy and the Risks of Calculous Gallbladder Disease. Clinical Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, p 25-29
(3) Hempfling W, Dilger K, Beuers U. Systematic Review: Ursodeoxycholic Acid-Adverse Effec4 And Drug Interactions.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2003 Nov 15;18(10):963-72.
(4) https://www.ehealthme.com/Ursodeoxycholic-Acid-3782214
(5) Krambedc AE, Gettman MT, Rohlinger AL et al: Diabetes mellitus and hypertension associated with shock wave lithotripsy of renal and proximal ureteral stones at 19 years of follow-up. .7 Urol 2006; 175: 1742.
(6) Bates T, Ebbs SR, Harrison M, Ahern RP. Influence of cholecystectomy on symptoms. Br JSurg1991; 79:964 -7
(7) Gray et al. Does cholecystectomy prior to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer affect outcome? 2008 Jul;74(7):602-5; discussion 605-6.
(B) Ros E, Zambon D. Postcholecystectomy symptoms. A prospective study of gall stone patients before and two years after surgery. Gut1987; 28:1500-4 (3)
(9) Tsai 0, Leitzmann MF, Hu FB, Willett WC, Giovannucci EL. Frequent nut consumption and decreased risk of cholecystectomy in women. Am Clin Nutr. 2004