Gall Bladder Sludge: Stopping Short of Gall Stones

Most of us have probably already heard about gall bladder stones. However, few know what gall bladder sludge is. This term, however, is intimately connected with gall stones.
Gall Bladder Sludge

Cholesterol is a normal component of the bile that is stored in the gall bladder. The amount of cholesterol in the bile is normally managed by bile salts and lecithin, which break up the fats. In some people, the amount of cholesterol may become too much and may not dissolve completely. When this happens, the excess cholesterol may form into micro crystals. Cholesterol, together with calcium bilirubinate and a mucous gel, become gall bladder sludge. This may be an early sign that you could develop gall bladder stones. In many individuals, however, the sludge may just go away.

Aside from excess cholesterol, gall bladder sludge may also form if the gall bladder is in stasis, and is thus often not completely emptied. Certain conditions like pregnancy, celiac disease, and high cholesterol levels may contribute to this condition. Stasis, however, may also be the result of crash dieting, eating too little fat, and skipping meals.

Living with Sludge and Stones

There are a lot of individuals who go on with life without showing any unusual or alarming symptoms, even when the sludge has become stone. Depending on the doctor’s evaluation, a person with no symptoms may only have to take medication to dissolve the stones.

The gall bladder may only be removed when there are already symptoms and complications caused by duct blockage. A person with gall bladder stones may suffer prolonged pain in the upper right abdominal area, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Severe cases will also cause fever and chills.

Prevention

Preventing gall bladder sludge also means that you may be able to prevent gall bladder stones of the cholesterol type. There are a couple of preventive measures that you can take.

Being at risk of developing gall bladder sludge and stones should teach us a basic health rule—moderation. You may eventually think that avoiding fatty foods altogether is a good idea, but the absense of fat in your diet can also produce sludge. It would therefore be best if you simply avoided saturated fats and got your fat ration from healthy fish oil and non animal based cooking oils like olive and canola. Foods to avoid are pure pork fat, mayonnaise, butter, and processed or junk foods with trans fat.

• Don’t skip meals and never get into crash diets. You need to eat something at the right times of the day so that your gall bladder will open and empty its bile content.
• Drink eight glasses of water everyday and fill your daily meals with a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals from fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Exercising regularly will not only help you burn excess fats, but may also help you maintain your recommended weight. Being obese is a risk factor for gall bladder sludge and stone formation.