digestive system malfunctions: gallstones

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  • GALLSTONES
    • CAUSES
      • Chemical imbalance in the make-up of bile.
      • high levels of cholesterol inside the gallbladder
      • high levels of waste product called bilirubin
      • more common if you're overweight, over 40, female, have a condition such as cirrhosis or IBS, or a family member who also suffers
    • SYMPTOMS
      • Sudden+ severe abdominal pain
      • excessive sweating
      • nausea or vomitting
      • jaundice
      • itchy skin
      • diarrhoea
      • loss of appetite
    • TREATMENT/PREVENTION
      • treatment depends on how the symptoms affect the individual daily life
        • For an asymptomatic person 'active monitoring' will be recommende
        • keyhole surgery to remove the stones
        • medication- is not often prescribed as it must be taken for at least 2 years, it is also not always effective and gallstones may return after treatment ends.
        • lithotripsy- non-surgical treatment: tiny endoscope is used to deliver shock waves that shatter the gall stones

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