The most common cause of chronic cholecystitis is the presence of stones, or gallstones, in the gallbladder. A gallstone is a stone in the gallbladder. As the gallbladder contracts, gallstones can move to the cystic duct and bile duct, preventing the elimination of bile. When bile accumulates and concentrates in the gallbladder, it can cause inflammation of the gallbladder. The onset of cholecystitis is called acute cholecystitis; the slower onset and longer duration is called chronic cholecystitis. Most people get chronic cholecystitis.
The age of onset of chronic cholecystitis is mostly 20 to 50 years old, and there are far more women than men. With the improvement of living standards, the incidence of the disease has a tendency to increase year by year.
Who is prone to chronic cholecystitis?
Patients with gallstones have the greatest chance of getting cholecystitis, and the formation of gallstones is related to an imbalance in the ratio of the content of substances called cholesterol to other substances in the gallbladder, and people who have this imbalance are prone to gallstones. Excess cholesterol produced by the liver is an important reason for the tendency to develop gallstones. The following people are more prone to gallbladder infection
Middle-aged and elderly people, especially middle-aged and elderly women who are fat and exercise less.
People who eat an overly fatty diet and eat too much fat, and these people have increased cholesterol levels in their bile.
People who have been vegetarian for a long time and eat too much vegetarian food can lead to an imbalance in the ratio of cholesterol in the gallbladder to the content of other substances in the gallbladder, which also easily leads to the formation of stones.
In addition, people who often do not eat breakfast, because the fasting time is too long, long-term storage of bile in the gallbladder is very easy to stagnate, but also easy to get chronic cholecystitis.
Small dictionary: Cholesterol is a type of lipid that is found in the human blood.
What are the common manifestations of chronic cholecystitis?
Abdominal pain is usually recurrent, with persistent dull pain in the right upper abdomen or middle and upper abdomen, sometimes accompanied by vague pain in the right shoulder or right lower back. Abdominal pain often occurs after eating particularly oily food or is aggravated by eating particularly oily food.
Abdominal distension Abdominal distension is often felt.
Nausea and vomiting There may be reflex nausea or bitter water in the mouth, also accompanied by acid reflux and sciatic dyspepsia, and aggravated by eating fatty food; rarely vomiting.
Important: Stones in the gallbladder can become lodged in the cystic duct and cause acute cholecystitis. Patients may experience right upper abdominal cramps, pain radiating to the right shoulder, vomiting, fever, and yellowing of the skin. When this happens suddenly, do not just take painkillers by yourself, but go to the hospital urgently for emergency treatment. In the case of chronic cholecystitis, which is likely to be an acute attack, you should also go to the hospital urgently.
What tests are needed to diagnose chronic cholecystitis?
The symptoms of chronic cholecystitis are similar to those of some other gastrointestinal diseases, so the doctor will ask the patient to undergo some tests and make a diagnosis based on the results of the tests, depending on the patient’s specific situation. Tests that are commonly used as a basis for diagnosis of cholecystitis include the following
Ultrasonography: It can observe gallstones in the gallbladder and detect some other abnormalities in the gallbladder.
Cholecystography: By injecting a contrast agent into the patient orally or intravenously, the gallbladder is clearly visible under X-ray, and stones in the gallbladder can be observed, and some other abnormalities of the gallbladder can also be found.
CT examination: It can reveal the stones in the gallbladder more clearly than ultrasound and cholecystography.
Related knowledge: Ultrasound is a sound wave that exceeds the frequency that can be heard by a person. CT examination is a computerized body scan, which is a high-tech medical imaging technology that uses a computer to scan the human body layer by layer and then displays the scanned images. It can clearly show the structure of human organs on multiple levels, which is equivalent to cross-sectional dissection.
Which patients with chronic cholecystitis need to undergo surgical removal of the gallbladder?
Patients with chronic cholecystitis who have stones in their gallbladder and repeated acute attacks, most of whom have a non-functional gallbladder, should have it removed as the best way to cure chronic cholecystitis. Many patients are afraid of surgery, but happily, nowadays, the gallbladder can be removed with a small incision in the upper abdomen and through laparoscopy, with very little pain to the patient.
Patients with chronic cholecystitis who do not have stones in their gallbladder can be treated with medication under the guidance of their doctor.
Related knowledge: changing a sedentary lifestyle and exercising more; keeping a broad mind and a relaxed mood is also very beneficial to the recovery of patients with chronic cholecystitis.
How can patients with chronic cholecystitis take a diet?
Food should be light, eat vegetable oil, do not eat such as egg yolk, animal liver and kidney, roe and animal oil and fried food containing high fat, cholesterol and other foods. Even if you eat a little (20 to 30 grams) of fat every day, you should pay attention to divide it into three meals to eat slowly.
Eat more yellow and red fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A, such as carrots and tomatoes, because vitamin A can reduce the formation of stones. Fruit juices, capers and hawthorn, which have a beneficial effect on the gallbladder and liver, can also be eaten more often.
Eating the right amount of protein food can promote the recovery of cholecystitis, with 2 to 3 fish or lean meat, eggs and tofu per day is more appropriate.
Drink more water every day to help dilute the bile and reduce bile stagnation.
Avoid all alcohol, stimulating foods or strong condiments.
Don’t eat too much at each meal.
Eat fiber-containing vegetables and fruits to keep the bowel movement smooth, because constipation can easily aggravate the disease.