What causes gallstones and how to cure abdominal pain: Beware of these risk factors, check your diet

Have you been experiencing excruciating pain in the right side of your abdomen that subsides and returns on loop? Do you feel nauseous and want to vomit when the pain starts? Check your diet and see if you've been consuming enough fibre? If you say yes to all these, you may be experiencing biliary colic, a type of pain characteristic of gallstones.

The gallbladder, a pear-shaped organ, is primarily responsible for storing bile, a concentrated liquid synthesised by the liver. It further transfers this liquid to the small intestine through its duct (cystic duct), which combines with the duct from the liver to form the common bile duct. Bile is essential for aiding in the digestion and absorption of fat.

Gallstones (cholelithiasis) are derived from the constituents of bile, made of cholesterol, calcium salts, and bile pigments. They usually develop inside the gallbladder but may also be formed inside the duct that connects this pear-shaped organ to the duodenum, a part of the small bowel (intestine).

Various types of gallstones can be formed, like pure, mixed, or combined. While pure gallstones (10 percent) consist of one major component, namely cholesterol (large and hard), bile pigment (multiple and small), or calcium carbonate (grey-white and small, often rare), mixed gallstones, most commonly found (80 percent), contain a mixture of fatty acids, cholesterol, bile pigments, and calcium salts. Lastly, the combined gallstones (10 percent) are often large and solitary. They have an inner part consisting of pure gallstone and an outer shell of mixed gallstone. Though these stones may be silent for several years, producing no symptom whatsoever, they can progress to causing severe pain in the right abdomen, often at night. Or after a fatty meal.

The prevalence of cholelithiasis depends on ethnicity, age, gender, etc. The following risk factors can predispose you toward the development of gallstones.

1. Demographic factor: Common in the western world, American Indians are most likely to suffer from gallstones and possibly have the highest prevalence statistics. The number of cases is relatively low in Japan.

2. Genetics: If one of your parents, or both, have experienced cholelithiasis, there is a high chance you might too. A mutation in the CYP7A1 gene can cause a deficiency of a crucial enzyme responsible for synthesising bile.

3. Age: Advancing age can increase the chances of developing painful gallbladder stones. This may be due to a rise in the cholesterol levels in bile with age. The clinical presentation frequently begins after 50 years.

4. Gender: The ratio of incidence of cholelithiasis in females to males is 2:1. Women who have had more than one child or more than one pregnancy (multiparous women) are predisposed to developing gallstones as opposed to nulliparous females (those who have not had a single pregnancy).

5. Birth control: The formation of gallstones is often seen in persons taking contraceptive pills or oestrogen therapy. The female sex hormone, oestrogen, enhances the incidence of lithogenic bile.

6. Obesity and diet: An increased weight beyond the standard body mass index raises cholesterol levels that can lead to the formation of cholesterol-containing stones. A dietary fibre deficiency that causes digestion trouble is also a potential threat.

7. Health conditions: Co-existing conditions like alcoholic liver cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, parasitic infections, and gastrointestinal diseases can also be aggravating elements.

How to prevent cholelithiasis 

Consuming adequate portions of fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts helps keep gallstones at bay. Maintaining cholesterol levels by exercising and following a healthy routine is recommended.