Gallbladder and bile ducts

When there are unpleasant sensations and pain on the right side under the rib, it is important to recognize the cause in a timely manner. Diseases of the liver and bile ducts are a threat to the human condition and its full vital activity. In the absence of proper methods of treatment, ailments that affect the biliary system of the body are able to pass into more severe forms, removing even the central nervous system from a malfunction.

What are the manifestations of bile duct disease?

At the first symptoms of the pathologies described below, you should immediately contact a specialist. To start acting, the doctor should see an objective picture of the patient's health, which means that it is extremely important to undergo a comprehensive examination. Get detailed information about how affected the disease biliary tract, you can only after the first stages of diagnosis, which include:

• Primary examination by a gastroenterologist;
• The passage of ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
• Results of laboratory tests of blood, urine and feces.

In the case of suspicion of the development of the pathological process in the biliary system of the body, the physician, as a rule, appoints the patient to go through more thorough studies:

• Gastroscopy;
• Radiography of bile ducts with contrast agent;
• Biochemical composition of bile.

In general, diseases of the biliary tract differ in the characteristic features of the course. Their therapy largely depends on the severity of the ailment, the symptoms and the complications available at the time of referral to specialists.

Pathological processes that can develop in the gallbladder and bile ducts are most often:

• Dyskinesia;
• Cholelithiasis;
• Cholingitis;
• Various forms of cholecystitis.

The causes of dyskinesia in the biliary system

The first disease, which is often enough in patients at any age, is dyskinesia of the biliary tract. Symptoms and treatment of the disease are interrelated concepts, because this pathology is a direct functional disorder of the biliary system due to abnormal operation of the sphincters of Oddi, Mirizzi and Lutkens, as well as contractions of the gallbladder.

Most often, the disease manifests itself in women aged 20 to 40 years. To date, no one can definitely answer the causes of the disease. The most likely factors that pushed the disease to progression can be considered:

1. Hormonal failure (impaired production of substances that affect the contractile function of the gallbladder and biliary tract, lead to malfunction in the work of the muscular mechanisms).
2. Improper diet and unhealthy lifestyle.
3. Frequent anaphylactic and allergic reactions of the body to food.
4. Pathologies of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, acting directly on the biliary tract. Symptoms, treatment of such ailments are concomitant problems during the treatment of the underlying disease.
5. Infection with the hepatitis B and C virus (pathogenic microorganisms of this type adversely affect the neuromuscular structure of the organs under consideration).

In addition, dyskinesia can provoke other diseases of the biliary tract (for example, chronic cholecystitis). Illnesses of the liver, pancreas, anomalies in the development of the biliary system also often lead to the failure of most digestive organs.

How to cure dyskinesia?

Treatment of bile ducts has its own characteristics. With regard to dyskinesia, the general therapy can be divided into two blocks.
The first often include therapeutic measures of non-medicament content, for example:

1. Compliance with the diet (complete elimination of fatty, fried, smoked, canned and other harmful products from the daily diet, compilation of a daily menu based on food rich in plant fiber, choleretic products).
2. Drinking enough fluids throughout the day.
3. Active way of life, therapeutic breathing exercises.
4. Prevention of stressful situations, disorders, experiences.

Drug treatment is an obligatory component in the therapy of such an ailment as dyskinesia of bile ducts. Drugs, which experts recommend taking to patients, are mainly aimed at relieving muscle tension, providing sedative and spasmolytic action. The most common with dyskinesia are Papaverin, No-shpa, Novokain. The therapeutic complex includes, including the use of mineralized waters.

Features of the course of dyskinesia in children

The disease that affects the biliary tract of children is not uncommon these days. Dyskinesia is found in physicians in children over the age of three. By the way, experts sing out this disease among children's pathologies of bile ducts as it is often ascertained. In fact, the causes of the development of violations in the hepatobiliary system in the child are the same provoking factors as in adults.

The danger for children's organisms is often hidden in the consequences of dyskinesia, which affects the biliary tract. Symptoms of a child's ailment are often supplemented by specific manifestations from the nervous system and psycho-emotional state. As a rule, signs of having dyskinesia in children are:

• Tearfulness;
• Rapid fatigue;
• Decrease in concentration of attention, efficiency;
• Muscular hypotension;
• Hyperhidrosis;
• Irregular heartbeat.

Recommendations for preventing the recurrence of a child's ailment

Since the symptomatology and diagnostic procedures are absolutely the same for both adult patients and babies, treatment tactics will also be based on canons of rational nutrition. It is extremely important that a child consume healthy food in accordance with a clear schedule, not only during exacerbation of the disease of the bile ducts or during the passage of the therapeutic course, but also for the purpose of prevention. Ideally, this style of nutrition should become the norm for a growing organism on an ongoing basis.

It is also worth noting that the dyskinesia diagnosed in a child predetermines the need for it to be registered on a regular basis for periodic examination. This is the only way to prevent the development of ailment. The best prevention of dyskinesia in a healthy baby pediatrician calls such principles:

1. Eating every 2.5 hours throughout the day in small fractions.
2. Avoid overeating.
3. Absence of emotional overstrain, stress.

What is dangerous zhelchekamennaya disease?

The next ailment that affects the bile ducts no less often than dyskinesia, is cholelithiasis. This pathology arises from the formation of concrements in the gallbladder and is characterized by a significant inflammation in its walls. Dangers of the disease doctors call it hidden manifestations and almost complete absence of symptoms in the early stages of the disease. At a time when it is easiest to cope with the disease, the patient can not even assume that his bile ducts, the gallbladder need help.

With the gradual progression of pathology, the rates of which are largely determined by the patient's way of life, the first signs of the disease become noticeable. The most common of these is biliary colic, which patients almost always take for pain in the liver, explaining this by participating the day before in a satisfying meal or drinking alcohol. Despite the fact that these factors are really capable of provoking an exacerbation of cholelithiasis, treating the symptoms lightly can be extremely dangerous for the health of the patient. Among the complications that are threatened in time is not cured gallstone disease, patients are diagnosed with:

• cholecystitis;
• Pancreatitis;
• Malignant tumors affecting the liver and biliary tract.

At-Risk Group

Since the main and sole cause of the formation of stones in the gall bladder and ducts is the violation of metabolic processes in the body (in particular, cholesterol, bilirubin and bile acids), it is natural that the treatment and recovery measures will be directed at eliminating formations.

Stones that interfere with the outflow of bile occur in women several times more often than in men. In addition, people with a gallstone disease most risk people:

• Suffering from obesity;
• Leading sedentary lifestyle;
• The type of activity of which determines the predominantly sitting position during working hours;
• Not observing the regime in meals.

Methods of treatment of cholelithiasis

To recognize for certain whether there are stones in the patient's gallbladder, it is sufficient to perform an ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs. To date, when confirming the diagnosis, doctors most often make decisions about cholecystectomy.

However, to a radical surgical treatment, a specialist may not incline a patient if the education practically does not bring discomfort. In this case, experts recommend a course of treatment aimed directly at the biliary tract. Symptoms of the disease, which do not manifest themselves at all, allow using the method of action on the ursodeoxycholic and chenodeoxycholic acid channels.

Its advantage is the possibility of getting rid of stones in a non-surgical way. Among the shortcomings is a high probability of relapse. For about a year, the therapeutic course in most cases gives an imaginary, short-term result, since patients often note the occurrence of repeated inflammation of the literal several years after prolonged treatment. It is also worth noting that this option is available only in the presence of cholesterol stones, not exceeding 2-centimeter diameter.

What is cholangitis: its symptoms and complications

Inflammation of the bile ducts is also considered a pathological condition, whose name is cholangitis. The peculiarity of this ailment is considered by doctors to be its independent course or accompanying cholecystitis. The ailment possesses different degrees of intensity and danger to the health and life of the patient. There are 3 main stages, based on the intensity of the symptoms:

• Subacute;
• acute;
• purulent.

Symptoms of any dysfunction of the bile ducts are reflected in the general condition of the patient almost identically, causing in all cases:

• chills;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Increased sweating;
• High body temperature;
• Itching of the skin;
• Pain syndrome in the right hypochondrium.

When examining the patient, the patient may be found to have an enlarged liver and spleen. A significant sign of cholangitis is the yellowness of the skin, but its presence is not necessary. This pathology of bile ducts, which is purulent, has more pronounced signs. The patient's temperature can reach over 40 degrees. In addition, in this case, the risk of sepsis and abscess in the sub-diaphragmatic region increases several fold. Often in advanced forms of the disease, doctors diagnosed with hepatitis or hepatic coma in patients.

Diagnosis and treatment of cholangitis

In order to finally confirm the cholangitis in the patient, additional blood tests should be performed. The high value of leukocytes, accelerated ESR in the main always serve as indications for the passage of the following series of examinations:

• Cholangiography;
• Gastroduodenoscopy;
• Laparoscopy.

Treatment of bile ducts with cholangitis requires the use of a number of potent drugs. Avoid the operation of the patient can only with a comprehensive therapeutic approach, based on the use of medications of a variety of activities. First of all, such drugs are needed for the biliary tract, which can have a choleretic effect on the diseased organ. Antibiotics and medicines of the nitrofuran group are extremely important for the removal of inflammation and suppression of pathogenic microflora. If there is a painful syndrome in the right hypochondrium, the doctor may prescribe antispasmodics.

If the necessary course of treatment does not bring positive results, i.e., there is no noticeable dynamics in improving the patient's condition, the doctor can replace conservative therapy with more drastic surgical operations.

Cholecystitis during an exacerbation

Against the background of the above described cholelithiasis, a disease such as cholecystitis often develops. It can be characterized by the inflammatory process of the walls and ducts of the gallbladder, as well as ingress of pathogenic microorganisms into its cavity. Although in the absence of stones, cholecystitis can also occur in women older than 30 years.

The main signs of acute cholecystitis

As a rule, the exacerbation of cholecystitis, as well as of other diseases that affect the biliary tract, occurs after the relaxation of the strict regime of dietary nutrition by the patient. Allowing himself even a little something harmful, in a short time he will regret it. The painful symptoms of cholecystitis under the right rib, irradiating to the subscapular region and the supraclavicular zone, do not allow one to forget about the ailment even for a short time. It should be noted that pancreatitis is considered a frequent companion of cholecystitis, simultaneous manifestations of which cause incredible discomfort and pain in the patient.

In elderly people who have had myocardial infarction, because of cholecystitis, pain in the vaginal space can occur. Angina of the reflex type is further accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Vomit masses initially represent the contents of the stomach, that is, what the patient ate before, then only bile can be released.

An increase in body temperature can not be considered an obligatory symptom of cholecystitis. The absence of fever does not indicate a lack of inflammation. Palpating the abdomen, the doctor in most cases notes the tension of the abdominal muscles, the painfulness of the gallbladder, which becomes more and more like a small ball in the right hypochondrium. The liver also begins to increase in size. A characteristic feature of acute cholecystitis is a jump in blood pressure. A couple of days after the discovery of the disease, the skin can turn yellow.

Different severity of cholecystitis

Acute cholecystitis has the main stages of the course:

1. The catarrhal phase of the development of the disease is not characterized by fever of the body. If there is pain, then it is fairly mild. The entire period lasts not more than a week, and most often the disease is detected at this stage by chance. It is quite possible to stop the progression of the disease at this stage, if we immediately start treatment, preventing the onset of phlegmonous cholecystitis.
2. The second stage of the development of the disease is characterized by pronounced pain, frequent vomiting, high fever, general weakness of the body. Appetite in the patient is significantly reduced because of the emergence of leukocytosis on the background of pathology.
3. The most dangerous stage for the patient is gangrenous. To such an ailment is often associated with peritonitis, treatment options that have no, except for emergency surgery. Statistics indicate a high probability of a fatal outcome without an urgent operation.

One of the most frequent reasons for the belated recognition of cholecystitis are its manifestations, which in most cases are also characteristic of other ailments of the abdominal cavity organs. For example, they can also declare themselves:

• acute appendicitis;
• Exacerbation of pancreatitis;
• Stomach ulcers and 12 duodenal ulcers;
• Renal failure, colic, pyelonephritis.

Treatment of cholecystitis

As already mentioned, in the diagnosis of the role played by absolutely all the indicators of research. If the biliary tract is full of stones, ultrasound will tell you about it. The fact that the body has an inflammatory process will confirm an overestimated number of leukocytes in the biochemical blood test.

To treat diseases that affect the biliary tract or gallbladder, it is necessary only in a hospital hospital. Conservative methods of therapy can alleviate the condition of the patient. He is prescribed strict bed rest, lack of meals. For anesthesia, a hot-water bottle with ice under the right hypochondrium is provided.

Before the beginning of drug therapy, a complete detoxification of the patient's body is carried out, after which antibiotics are prescribed to him. Lack of results throughout the day requires urgent intervention by surgeons.

What changes in nutrition for ailments of bile ducts?

Diet in diseases of bile ducts plays an important predetermining role. As you know, during periods of seizures, eating something is prohibited, since the naturally occurring bile release as a reaction to incoming food can intensify the symptoms of the disease. During the remission it is extremely important to observe a suitable diet and eat according to a clear schedule. The food itself is the best cholagogue, so you need to eat at least 4-5 times during the day. The main thing is to exclude any, even the slightest snack for the night.

Adhering to the following advice of nutritionists and gastroenterologists, you can achieve the maximum long-term remission:

1. It is undesirable to eat fresh wheat bread, especially baked, hot. Ideally, if it is dried or yesterday.
2. Hot dishes have a positive effect on the general condition of the digestive system. During cooking, the onions, carrots, etc. should not be pasted.
3. Meat and fish choose only low-fat varieties. The ideal way of cooking is to extinguish, cook and bake.
4. Any vegetable or animal oil in small amounts is not prohibited, but in the absence of heat treatment.
5. In diseases of the biliary tract, the best cereal products are buckwheat and oatmeal.
6. Milk and sour milk drinks, as well as cottage cheese can be consumed.

In any case, when the first manifestations of the disease are to go to the doctor, self-medication patient is in danger of aggravating his condition.