Gallstone Pancreatitis is the result of a blockage in the pancreatic duct by a gallstone. Due to the blockage in the pancreatic duct, inflammation occurs and causes the problem to begin.

This can be a life-threatening situation and should be immediately checked. If the stones from the gallbladder travel down the common bile duct and get stuck at the sphincter, it can stop the outflow of all materials from the pancreas as well as the liver and become quite severe. There are a lot of risks involved when a person suffers from this issue. Rapid weight loss, high cholesterol levels, diabetes are a few of the risks of the disease.

Symptoms of Gallstone Pancreatitis
There are a number of symptoms like pangs of pain in the upper left abdomen and the back, swollen and tender abdomen, vomiting and nausea, increase in the heart rate, fever and more can be seen in a patient suffering from gallstone pancreatitis. Any individual who notices any of the following symptoms should get themselves checked immediately. Any pain in the upper abdominal area can be aggravated by eating foods which are high in fat as well.

Diagnosis of Gallstone Pancreatitis
In order to be completely sure about having gallstone pancreatitis, a number of tests are performed. Blood tests are followed by abdominal CAT scan to check for the inflammation of the pancreas. This also shows how severe the inflammation of the pancreas is. Sometimes abdominal ultrasound is also suggested as CAT scans are sometimes not as sensitive in identifying the problem. Once the problem has been detected, immediate treatment is recommended by doctors.

The Treatment of Gallstone Pancreatitis
The best treatment for pancreatitis is done in the initial stage of the problem. By avoiding taking in liquids and solid food up until the inflammation subsides is one of the best treatments. If the inflammation is relatively modest, the swelling can reduce in a few days by intravenous delivery of fluids for a couple of days.

1. If a CAT scan or MRI of abdomen suggest that a stone in present in the Common bile Duct (CBD), the an Endoscopic treatment referred as ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography) is done. 

2. After the acute pancreatitis episode settles down, patient must undergo a Gall Bladder removal surgery. This is done as gall bladder is the factory of gall stones and patient is at-risk to another episode of Acute Pancreatitis.

In case of severe inflammation, fever and persisting pain, intravenous delivery of food should continue if oral intake of food does not start within 5 to 7 days. Anti-nausea medications are used to treat severe nausea and vomiting along with nasogastric tube. In certain cases, it is important to remove the gallstones from the bladder immediately while in some cases doctors suggest waiting for a period of 24-48 hours before starting the removal procedure. Sometimes a surgical removal of the gallstones is also required but only if the stones do not pass out of the system on their own.

All You Need to Know About Gallstone Pancreatitis

Sometimes, when it comes to problems in the abdominal area, an ultrasound is not clear enough for a diagnosis. In such cases, an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) may be performed. This procedure gives the doctor a clear view of the duodenum, bile duct, pancreatic ducts, gallbladder and papilla of Vater.

This procedure is usually performed under intravenous sedation without general anesthesia. This procedure involves the use of a duodenoscope, which can be described as a thin, long, flexible tube with a camera at one end. It also has a fiber optic bundle that transmits lights to the camera and a chip to transmit video images to a TV screen.

This is inserted through the patient s mouth and sent down the throat through the food pipe to the stomach and duodenum while the patient is lying on his or her back. The air pipe is left undisturbed so as to not interfere with the patient s breathing. Since the patient is not under general anesthesia, he or she can move and turn according to the doctor s needs. The papilla of Vater is a small nipple like structure with an opening to the bile duct and pancreatic duct. Once this has been identified, a small plastic catheter is passed through the duodenoscope into the bile duct or pancreatic duct through the papilla. Dye is then injected into the area and X-rays are taken of the bile ducts and pancreatic duct. In cases where a biopsy is needed, other instruments can also be passed through the endoscope. Plastic or metal stents can also be passed through this to relieve obstructions in the bile ducts and pancreatic ducts.

ERCP can be used to diagnose and treat a number of conditions in the liver, bile ducts, gall bladder, pancreas and papilla of Vater. These include:

  Blockage of the bile duct by gallstones, cancer, scars, tumors or compression from adjacent organs.

  Jaundice due to an obstructed bile duct. This can also cause light stools and dark urine.

  Persistent upper abdominal pain

  Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite

  Diagnosing a Dysfunctioning Sphincter of Oddi within the Papilla of Vater

ERCP can also be used to confirm pancreatic cancer and cancer of the bile duct. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctors can customize treatment according to the patient s needs.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography - Procedure and Results

The gallbladder is a small organ in the abdomen that rarely gets any attention. When it does draw attention to itself, it is usually not for the right reasons. People think of their gallbladder only when they start feeling abdominal pain associated with gallstones. Gallstones aren t stones like we see in river beds but crystallized deposits of digestive fluids. They can be as small a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Stones can occur singularly or many stones may develop simultaneously. It can cause pain in the center or upper right part of the abdomen. Though the pain may be bad, it is not a reason to worry as homeopathy has a number of ways to treat this condition.

Homeopathy is a holistic form of healing that addresses the patient as a whole instead of merely looking at the symptoms exhibited. In this way, it attacks the root cause of the problem. Homeopathic remedies may be given to infants, children and adults of all ages. One of the many benefits of this form of medication is that it has negligible side effects. However, self-medication is not advisable. This is because a remedy that suits one person may not be as effective for another. When prescribing homeopathic remedies, a doctor will look into the patient s medical history, family history, overall physical and mental health, as well as the symptoms, were seen. Thus, homeopathy does not follow a one size fits all approach. For example, an obese person will require a specific type of homeopathic medicine. At the same time, a patient complaining of acidity and a bloated abdomen will require a completely different remedy.

There are many different types of homeopathic remedies. These can be prescribed in the form of sugar-coated pills or liquids. In some cases, powders may also be prescribed. Homeopathic medicines may be prescribed singularly or in a combination of two to three medicines. The main aim of these homeopathic remedies is to reduce the size of the gallstone so that it can pass through the digestive system and be expelled from the body. It also helps relieve pain and reduce flatulence associated with gallstones.

When it comes to homeopathic remedies, one must not expect an immediate solution. It is important to be patient and to take your medication regularly for it to be effective. It is also important not to eat or drink anything half an hour before or after taking the medicines. 

Treating Gallstones With Homeopathic Approach!

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy may sound like a very complex medical procedure. Well, that should not come as a surprise because that is pretty much what it is. In any case, however, would it not be more than a little interesting to get to know more about this complex sounding procedure?

The cholecystectomy is required when there is a need to remove the gallbladder. When it comes to the surgery itself, there are two options from which a person can choose, in consultation with the doctor. There is the traditional sort and there is the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The traditional way of performing the surgery requires that there is a cut made along the right side of the person s body, from which the surgeon removes the gallbladder.

When a person goes for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there is no need for a long cut of the body or anything of that sort! In its stead, there are a few very small incisions which are made of the abdomen of the patient and even a video camera is inserted through one of these incisions!

The use that is served by the camera is that it provides the surgeon with the view required inside the abdomen to perform the surgery without having to cut open much of the abdomen. Using the tools at his or her disposal, the surgeon can perform the same operation. Now, does that sound seem to be a lot better?

One of the great advantages about the laparoscopic cholecystectomy as compared to an open cholecystectomy is the fact that the recovery time is so much shorter! While the open surgery takes about an hour or two for the procedure itself and generally two to three whole days after it to recover, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy means that the patient can generally go home the same day, after spending about just ten hours at the hospital! That being said, in some cases, the doctors recommend that a night is spent at the hospital so that everything is stable.

Taking this into consideration, the time it takes for a person to get back to normal and do anything and everything that he or she wants is a lot less when the surgery was of the laparoscopic variety. Care needs to be taken though, but within a week to ten days, everything should be just fine.

Pain in the gallbladder, unfortunately, affects some people, but laparoscopic is the way to go!

Gallbladder Removal Surgery - Tips To Help You Recover!

The gall bladder, which sits just below the rib cage to the right of the stomach, is very tender to touch. It is a little sac or storage compartment for bile, which is produced by the liver. The gallbladder emits bile into the small intestines via a duct referred to as the cystic duct. The entire process is meant to break down foods (namely fatty foods). 
Gallbladder attack symptoms may include one or more of the following:
1.Pain in the back right shoulder blade:
Sometimes, pain radiates through to the back shoulder blade on the right side or in the middle between the shoulder blades. This is pain from the gallbladder affecting the back of the shoulder. This back shoulder blade chest pain is one of the most common yet unknown symptoms of a gallbladder disorder. This can come and go or be constant. It may be sharp, excruciating or dull. It may also occur especially at night. A gallbladder attack will typically last for one to four hours.
2. Pain in the stomach: 
The most common symptom of a gallbladder problem is pain. This pain usually occurs in the mid to upper-right section of your abdomen. It can be mild and intermittent, or it can be quite severe and frequent. In some cases, the pain will begin to radiate to other areas of the body, including the back and chest.
3. Nausea or Vomiting: 
Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms among all types of gallbladder problems. But only a chronic gallbladder disease may cause digestive problems, such as acid reflux, gas, nausea, and vomiting.
4. Diarrhea:
Having more than four bowel movements a day for at least three months may be a sign of chronic gallbladder disease.
5. Fever or Chills:
An unexplained fever may signal that you have a bile duct infection. If you have an infection, you need treatment before it worsens and becomes dangerous. The infection can become life-threatening if it's allowed to spread to other parts of the body.
6. Unusual Stools or Urine: 
Lighter-colored stools and dark urine are possible signs of a common bile duct block.

Recognizing The Symptoms Of A Gall Bladder Attack

Gall bladder stones can be painful. Until and unless it is surgically removed and cured from within, the pain continues to hinder daily life. The good news is that there are ways by which pain from gall bladder stones could be managed. 

Here is a list of quick, easy-to-follow remedies to counter the pain.

Heat Pack: Applying a heat pack or hot water bottle on to the stomach making sure that the heat is directly passed on to the gall bladder can give instant relief from the pain. The heat should be applied at an interval of half an hour and a layer of cloth should be placed in between the skin and the heat pack.
Over the counter medicine: In most cases, over the counter pain relief meds can make the pain go away. NSAIDs should be avoided until and unless suggested by the doctor. A pain relief medicine with anti-inflammatory properties will perfectly suit the gall bladder condition.
Try vegetable juice: While gulping vegetable juice might sound a little indifferent, it has instant benefits with no side effect. All it needs is to mix beetroot, cucumber, and carrot in equal proportions and extract the juice from it. The juice extracted from this mixture should be consumed twice in a week to flush out the toxins from the system and ease the gall bladder pain.
Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits such as lemon, orange etc. contains pectin that is believed to be a remover of stones and blockages. This is also believed to be a great agent for countering pain originating from the gall bladder. Consumption of 10-12 tablespoon of lemon juice extracted from fresh lemons followed by a glass of water will wither the pain away in few weeks.
A mixture of honey and turmeric: Honey s antiseptic nature prevents infection and the curcumin found in turmeric makes the bile more soluble in the gall bladder. These two herbs in tandem can ease the gall bladder pain and get relief from the stones too. A tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of turmeric should be consumed daily to get the benefits.
Take the herbal route: There are several herbals that are believed to be extremely effective in treating pain origination from the gall bladder. Some of them include goldenseal, quebrapedra, catnip, fennel seed, yellow dock, rosemary, nettle, peppermint herbal tea etc.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is acidic in nature and consumption of a quarter of a glass followed by a quarter of a glass of apple juice can show instant results. It should be consumed daily after breakfast. There are instances where the pain eases out within a matter of 15 minutes.

Gall Bladder Stone Pain - Tips To Help You Manage It!

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