Liver Stones
Do you have liver stones?
Are you eyes showing a tint of yellow? Or have you experienced intermittent chills and random bouts of fever? Have you been feeling weak and extremely fatigued? If even one of the above has you nodding your head, you might want to get checked for liver stones.
Liver stones are no laughing matter. Liver stones are ambulated cholesterol and bile that solidify and become “stones”. They are basically calculuses that migrate around the liver and gall bladder due to the movement of fluids. Eventually, these liver stones then may get clogged in to the different ducts of the body causing terrible repercussions. The stones can get edged in to the wall of the liver or gall bladder and cause internal bleeding.
There are many types of liver stones, but the three main types are;
- Cholesterol stones. These are masses of ambulated cholesterol which make up about 80% of the stone. These are usually the largest stones and are caused by excessive cholesterol intake in body.
- Pigment stones. Pigment stones are primarily made up of bile. These are smaller stones and tend to stay dormant and undetected.
- Mixed stones. Mixed stones are a combination of different types of chemicals like cholesterol, and bile pigments. These liver stones turn up in x-rays due to the high content of calcium.
Liver stones may remain undetected throughout a person’s life. But when these are detected, it is wise to get them removed immediately. Liver stones can be removed by a number of methods depending on the severity of the stones. Medication, which has ursodeoxycholic acid, may be taken orally to dissolve the stone. Lithotripsy can also be used. This is a form of shock therapy that breaks up the stone. And lastly, on severe occasions, liver stones have to be removed by operating