Gallstones and dietary guidelines

Bile and its role

Bile is a golden-yellow digestive fluid produced by the liver.
It consists of bile salts, electrolytes, bilirubin, cholesterol, and other fats. The role of bile is to participate in the breakdown of ingested fats.

Causes of Gallstone Formation

The presence of stones in the gallbladder is called cholelithiasis.
Gallstones are clusters of crystals in the gallbladder or bile ducts. They form due to a disturbed composition of bile, which enables the process of crystallization.
Most gallstones form in the gallbladder.
Gallstones are more common in women than in men.

Various factors contribute to the formation of gallstones, with the most common being: genetics, diet, age, and obesity.
A diet high in fats facilitates the faster appearance of gallstones.

Symptoms and Signs

Gallstones often do not cause problems and are only discovered incidentally. Pain from gallstones is usually related to the preceding meal.
Most commonly, a fatty meal and eggs trigger the pain. The pain is usually cramping and can last for several hours. Since it occurs in episodes, it is called colic. Typically, it occurs 2-4 hours after eating a meal. The location of the pain can vary. In most cases, it is localized in the upper abdomen, most often below the right rib cage or in the epigastrium. However, it can also radiate to the back under the right scapula.
Nausea, vomiting, belching, and a feeling of fullness often accompany the pain. In the case of concurrent inflammation of the gallbladder, pain is also accompanied by a fever or even chills.
The passage of a stone from the gallbladder through the bile duct to the duodenum usually disrupts bile flow, causing jaundice or icterus in case of significant obstruction. Jaundice is recognized by the golden-yellow discoloration of the sclerae, skin, and visible mucous membranes.

Diagnosis

A rapid, simple, accessible, and accurate diagnostic method for confirming or excluding gallbladder disease is abdominal ultrasound.

Dietary Management and Medications

In the case of ultrasound confirmation of gallstones, a gallbladder diet is advised, and depending on the symptoms, additional treatment may be necessary.

A gallbladder diet prevents and reduces the number of painful attacks.
During an acute attack of gallstones, the gallbladder diet must be strictly adhered to, consuming only a so-called "fasting diet." Pain is alleviated with medications from the group of analgesics and antispasmodics. Often, hospital treatment is necessary during acute attacks.

As the condition stabilizes, meals within the gallbladder diet are gradually increased. It is important to minimize or almost eliminate fats from the diet. Consume mucilaginous soups, soft oat flakes in light milk, and similarly easily digestible foods. Avoid fatty fried foods and foods that cause bloating.

Surgical Treatment

In the case of recurrent problems or complications, additional treatment is advised.
In these cases, surgical treatment with gallbladder removal is often chosen. The procedure is called cholecystectomy.
Transient issues such as bloating and diarrhea after eating, especially if the food is fatty, may be present in the early postoperative period. However, these problems usually diminish over time.
Later on, most operated patients have no significant issues with eating and digestion.