How to Prevent Gallstones
It begins with an ache in the lower back, then a feeling of being bloated. Your entire abdomen hurts and your right side feels like someone is twisting a knife in it. You can't find a comfortable position to wait out the attack, which can last for hours. If only you'd taken steps to prevent developing gallstones--like these.
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Instructions
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Maintain a healthy weight. Even a few extra pounds can affect how well your gallbladder empties, allowing gallstones to form. Many people who were previously overweight, then lost weight find they also develop gallstones, especially if they lose weight by fasting.
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Control your diabetes. Diabetics often have elevated triglyceride levels, which lead to the development of gallstones.
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Watch your cholesterol. Gallstones form when your body has to remove excess cholesterol, which then clumps together in the gallbladder. People who take cholesterol-lowering drugs often develop gallstones.
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Consider carefully before taking estrogen. Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy increase the risk of developing gallstones. Even increased estrogen levels from pregnancy may lead to gallstones.
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Tips & Warnings
Women are more likely to develop gallstones than men, and native Americans and Mexican-Americans are more prone to gallstones. Your risk also increases with age.
A gallbladder attack occurs when a gallstone leaves the gallbladder and travels through a bile duct. If it gets lodged in the duct a gallbladder attack can lead to damage to the gallbladder, liver or pancreas. See your doctor if the attack doesn't resolve itself within five hours, you become nauseated, you have clay-colored stools, you develop a fever or if you develop jaundice, a yellowing of the whites of your eyes.
