Is it possible to break up gallstones

Fortunately, for most people, gallstones are "silent" — they don't cause major symptoms. When they do act up, there are effective ways to address the problem. Gallstones begin with bile, a substance that helps with the digestion of fats and the absorption of certain vitamins.

Bile is made in the liver and carried to the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ that concentrates and stores it.

The fat in food triggers the release of a hormone that causes the gallbladder to contract and release bile into the intestine. Gallstones are solid lumps that develop when the stored bile crystallizes. Most are less than an inch in diameter, but they can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Most gallstones are composed mainly of cholesterol.

The rest — known as pigment stones — are made of calcium salts and bilirubin, a breakdown product of red blood cells. Cholesterol stones form when liquid bile in the gallbladder contains more cholesterol than the bile salts can dissolve. Cholesterol stones may also develop if the gallbladder doesn't contract and empty as it should. Pigment stones are associated with certain medical conditions, including liver disease, some types of anemia , and infection of the bile ducts.

Gallstones cause problems when they block any of the ducts carrying bile from the liver or gallbladder or digestive enzymes from the pancreas to the small intestine. It's the effect of female hormones. Estrogen increases cholesterol in the bile, and progesterone slows the emptying of the gallbladder. That may explain why the risk for women, relative to men, decreases with age. Before age 40, women are diagnosed with gallstones almost three times more often than men are pregnancy, for example, increases the risk , but by age 60, their risk is just slightly greater.

Estrogen therapy increases the risk, especially when taken as a pill rather than a patch. Oral contraceptive pills also increase the risk slightly, but only in the first decade of use. Obesity is another risk factor because bodies with more fat produce more estrogen. Paradoxically, rapid weight loss also increases the risk, because very low-calorie diets interfere with bile production and therefore cause more crystallization of cholesterol.

Gallstones are so common after weight-loss surgery that patients are often advised to have their gallbladders removed at the same time. Gallstones are also more likely to occur in people with diabetes or any condition that decreases gallbladder contractions or intestinal motility, such as a spinal cord injury. Surgeons perform many laparoscopic cholecystectomies on an outpatient basis, meaning you may be able to go home the same day.

You will probably be able to return to normal physical activity in about a week. Open cholecystectomy. A surgeon performs an open cholecystectomy when your gallbladder is severely inflamed , infected, or scarred from other operations. Your doctor may perform a cholecystectomy if problems occur during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. After the surgery, you may need to stay in the hospital for up to a week. You will probably be able to return to normal physical activity after about a month.

A small number of people have softer and more frequent stools after gallbladder removal, because bile now flows into your duodenum more often. Changes in bowel habits are usually temporary; however, discuss them with your doctor. All surgeries come with a possible risk of complications; however, gallbladder surgery complications are very rare.

The most common complication is injury to the bile ducts, which can cause infection. Proponents of this method claim it breaks down the gallstones and flushes them from the body.

A paper states that although scientific evidence to support a gallbladder cleanse is minimal, anecdotal reports indicate it may be helpful for some people. A gallbladder flush involves consuming a blend of apple juice, herbs, and olive oil for 2 to 5 days.

Recipes vary, and some procedures allow a person to eat food while others do not. This diet may be unsafe people with diabetes or blood sugar problems, who do not consume solid food during the cleanse. Some people believe that apple juice softens gallstones, allowing them to be excreted from the body with ease. One cleanse involves mixing apple cider vinegar into the apple juice before drinking it. Although there is limited evidence to suggest that apple cider vinegar does have some health benefits, no studies support its use as a treatment for gallstones.

Furthermore, people with diabetes, stomach ulcers, and hypoglycemia should be wary of consuming large amounts of fruit juice. Apple cider vinegar is available to buy in health stores and online.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health , dandelion has been used historically to treat gallbladder, liver, and bile duct problems.

Supporters believe that the bitter roots may stimulate bile production in the gallbladder. People usually drink dandelion teas or coffees to remove their gallstones. However, there is no evidence to suggest this is beneficial. Furthermore, people with gallstones, gallbladder problems, or kidney problems should speak with a doctor before consuming dandelion.

A range of dandelion teas and supplements are available to purchase in health stores and online. Milk thistle has been used medicinally to detoxify the liver for centuries.

While it may support the liver and gallbladder, there are no studies evaluating its effects on gallstones. A person can take milk thistle as a tonic or in a capsule or tablet form. People with diabetes, ragweed allergies, or a history of hormone-sensitive cancers should discuss the use of milk thistle with their doctor. Milk thistle is available to buy in health stores and online. Lysimachiae herba or gold coin grass is a popular traditional Chinese remedy for gallstones.

Research suggests it may be beneficial for treating or preventing cholesterol gallstones. You may opt-out of e-mail communications at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

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