Gallstone disease, symptoms of different stages of the disease

Gallstone disease is one of the most common pathologies of the digestive system. Recently, there has been a trend towards an increase in the incidence of cholelithiasis. Especially it is common in the countries of northern Europe. Women are sick several times more often than men.

Symptoms of cholelithiasis are very diverse and largely depend on the stage of the disease. The initial stages of the disease, as a rule, are asymptomatic. Under favorable conditions, the disease for a long time can proceed as a calcification and be accidentally diagnosed with ultrasound of the abdominal cavity for other reasons. The course of manifest forms of cholelithiasis depends on the number and type of gallstones, the functional state of the gallbladder, the nature of nutrition, the accompanying pathology. With normal motor-evacuation function of the gallbladder, the absence of inflammatory changes in it, gentle feeding of the cholelithiasis, the symptoms of which are little expressed, may not be manifested by attacks of hepatic colic.

Gallstone disease: symptoms of preclinical stage

The preclinical stage is divided into two phases: biochemical and physicochemical. In the biochemical phase, the colloidal stability of the bile is disrupted, and during the physico-chemical phase, the pathological process is aggravated and salt crystals are formed, which subsequently lead to the formation of stones.

The preclinical stage got its name as a result of the fact that there are no complaints from the patient, as well as objective symptoms of the disease. They appear later, during the clinical stage.

Gallstone disease, symptoms of clinical stage

The main manifestation of the clinical stage are attacks of hepatic or biliary colic. Attacks can be very diverse - from rare, short-term, easily removed antispasmodics, to frequent and prolonged ones, which are difficult to treat and lead to the development of complications. Most often the attack provokes small stones moving in the gallbladder or along the common bile duct. The cause of the appearance of pain are contractions of the gallbladder, resulting from its sharp stretching and increase in pressure in it due to a mechanical disturbance of the outflow of bile.

During an attack of hepatic colic, the body temperature often rises. Pain is often accompanied by muscle tension in the right hypochondrium, nausea and vomiting, flatulence, slowing of the pulse and the appearance of pain in the heart. All these phenomena are caused by reflex stimulation of the corresponding parts of the peripheral nervous system. If the duration of hepatic colic exceeds one day, then slight jaundice may develop. The urine becomes dark, and the feces become discolored. Jaundice occurs after stopping the attack, if there is no persistent blockage of the bile duct. Occasionally an enlarged gallbladder is palpated, a slight increase in the liver.

Gallstone disease - symptoms defined in additional studies

The disease can be diagnosed at any stage, including before the appearance of clinical symptoms, using additional research methods. In the preclinical stage of the disease, you can determine the increase in cholesterol, leukocytes and ESR in a blood test, with duodenal sounding - crystals of salts in the second portion. With cholecystography and ultrasound, the presence of crystals and stones in the gallbladder is determined.

Thus, cholelithiasis, the symptoms of which are very diverse, can be determined at any stage of their development, which makes it possible to prescribe timely treatment, to prevent the development of complications.