Treatment for gallbladder stones can be done with a proper diet, use of medications, shock waves or surgery, and will depend on the symptoms that occur, the size of the stones and other factors such as age, weight and other existing diseases like diabetes and high cholesterol.





When the stones are still small and do not cause symptoms, the doctor usually indicates a diet and some medications. However, when the person has symptoms, the stone is large or migrates into the bile ducts causing an obstruction, the treatment is usually done through surgery to remove the gallbladder. In cases where the person for some reason cannot do the surgery, the doctor may indicate the use of shock waves, which can break the stones into small pieces, facilitating their elimination through the intestine.




Treatment for gallstones: medications, diet, and surgery


So the treatment for gallstones can be done with:




1. Medications


Treatment with the use of medications is carried out when the stones in the gallbladder are cholesterol since these remedies work by dissolving those stones, an example is Ursofalk, which contains ursodeoxycholic acid as the main substance. However, the person may need to take this type of medicine for a long time, since the stones normally take years to dissolve and, therefore, this treatment is only indicated in people who do not suffer from symptoms such as abdominal pain.




2. Low-fat diet


Gallbladder stone feeding should be done to avoid increased cholesterol, one of the main causes of gallbladder stone formation, and to prevent gallstones from causing pain and inflaming the gallbladder. For this reason, the diet should be low in fat and rich in fibre, as follows:




What to eat: fruits, vegetables, raw salad, whole grain products such as bread, rice, pasta and cookies, whole grains such as oats, chia and flaxseed, water and salt or maría cookies.


What foods to avoid: fried foods in general, sausages, chorizo, red meat, margarine, whole milk, yellow cheeses such as cheddar and mozzarella, heavy cream, pizza, industrialized products such as filled cookies, snacks and frozen food.


It is also important to stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water, teas or natural juices, preferably without sugar.




3. Shock waves


Gallstones can be treated by extracorporeal lithotripsy, which are shock waves that break the stones into smaller pieces, easier to pass through the bile ducts into the intestine. where they are eliminated in the feces. However, this technique is restricted to people who have symptoms and who have a single stone with a diameter between 0.5 to 2 cm, with few people meeting these criteria.




The downside of nonsurgical gallbladder stone treatments is that the gallbladder is likely to reoccur and inflame.




4. Surgery to remove the gallbladder


Surgical treatment to remove gallstones is done when the person has abdominal pain or when the stones are very large. The surgery can be done through a cut in the abdomen or by laparoscopy, which is a surgery done through a small cut in the abdomen, where the surgeon places a camera inside and manages to extract the gallbladder without having to do a major cut. This is the most used method to remove the gallbladder.




Surgery is usually the treatment that is usually chosen because it is the definitive solution to solve the problem. In addition to this, it is a simple surgery in which the individual generally only has to stay hospitalized for 1 day, being able to return to normal activities after 2 weeks. After surgery, the liver will continue to produce bile, only instead of storing it, it will go directly to the intestine at the time of digestion.




See when and how to recover from gallbladder removal surgery and what to eat after this surgery.




5. Home treatment for gallbladder stone


A home treatment that can be used for gallbladder stone is burdock and boldo tea because these plants have anti-inflammatory and cholagogue properties, which help reduce gallbladder inflammation and expel stones, especially smaller ones. . However, the individual should consult the doctor before ingesting this tea, because it can only be taken if there are no symptoms present and if there are no complications.