Cholecystitis: symptoms and treatment in adults

Cholecystitis is an inflammatory disease of the gallbladder, often a complication in peritonitis and other similar conditions. With this disease in the lumen of the bladder, a microflora is detected, the outflow of bile is difficult. This causes pain, increases the likelihood of an acute infection. One should be aware of the symptoms and treatment of cholecystitis in adults, which can occur in acute and chronic form.

Features of the disease

Women are several times more likely to fall ill middle and older, usually the disease is accompanied by cholangitis - inflammation of the ducts of the gallbladder. Often cholecystitis is combined with peritonitis.

There are two main types of cholecystitis: acute and chronic with periodic exacerbations. Acute and chronic forms in adults can proceed as follows:

1. Calculous cholecystitis. In this case, the appearance of inflammation is combined with the appearance of stones in the gallbladder, which are formed due to the violation of metabolic processes in the body. Stones consist of cholesterol, bilirubin and calcium, which normally go out with feces. Stones are different in structure. Non-calculous cholecystitis. In this case, stones are not formed, inflammation occurs with violations of the outflow of bile. Always takes place against a background of different forms of hepatitis, inflammation of the bile duct and pancreas.
2. Destructive cholecystitis. One of the most dangerous forms with an extremely unfavorable prognosis. This form is often accompanied by an abscess, it is literally destructive for the gallbladder.
3. Catarrhal form. This type of cholecystitis is characterized by the formation of exudate, mucus. The formation of mucus is revealed during a complete examination.
4. Purulent form. With this type of inflammatory process, purulent exudate is released, which is noticeable on blood tests. The purulent form of cholecystitis is dangerous with a high probability of infection of the whole organism and the accumulation of purulent discharge in the abdominal cavity.

Important! Treatment of exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis, read here.

Regardless of the form of cholecystitis in any case - this is a pretty dangerous disease, requiring immediate treatment. Often after finding the inflammatory process, the patient needs to completely change the way of life, otherwise the disease will become chronic, the exacerbations will bother often.

The development of chronic disease in adults is fraught with many problems for the health of the whole body. The gallbladder plays an important role in metabolic processes, it produces the bile necessary for normal digestion. It helps with the transition of the digestive process from the stomach into the intestines, stimulates the production of mucus, which protects the intestinal tissues.

Bile also helps to activate digestive enzymes and helps to remove cholesterol, bilirubin and a number of other substances that accumulate in cholecystitis and form stones in the gallbladder.

Reasons for

The main reason for the development of the inflammatory process in adults is the appearance of stones that prevent a normal outflow of bile. The formation of stones can occur due to various diseases that affect the normal metabolic process in the body: diabetes, trauma, infection.

It is proved that this disease is more common in women, there are several reasons for this pattern:

• pressure on the gallbladder during the period of gestation;
• female hormone - progesterone, produced during menopause and pregnancy, negatively affects the function of the gallbladder;
• frequent diets, they lead to various digestive disorders in general.

Important! More details on how cholecystitis manifests in women, we already wrote earlier.

Therefore, women are more likely to face cholecystitis. Also the following people fall into the risk group:

• people who have suffered from various intestinal diseases and infections;
• people with parasitic diseases localized in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the liver, gall bladder, pancreas, intestines;
• people with cholelithiasis, especially with complications in the form of blockages, obstructions, the formation of pressure sores;
• people with diseases that disrupt the normal blood supply to the digestive system, especially in the area of ​​the gallbladder and its walls.

These risk groups should learn more about the rules for the prevention of cholecystitis and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Knowledge of the possible development of possible complications will help to protect against inflammation.

In the chronic stage, cholecystitis passes with a long inflammation in the organ. Constant inflammation helps to tighten the walls of the gallbladder, because of which the outflow of bile will be permanently disrupted.

Important! Diseases of the gallbladder can affect the condition of the liver, the organ closest to it.

Symptoms of cholecystitis in adults

Cholecystitis begins with an acute form, the first attack. Subsequently, with improper treatment, he passes into a chronic form with periodic exacerbations.

The very first symptom of an attack is a sharp pain in the region of the liver and gallbladder. Usually, it is provoked by the ingress of a stone into the duct, when receiving an anesthetic sensation may be weakened, but in time they will begin to intensify again.

Then the normal flow of bile into the intestine ceases, as a result of which the skin and sclera begin to turn yellow. This symptom is called jaundice, while it is accompanied by an increase in heart rate - up to 80 - 120 beats per minute. If the pulse is higher, this can mean a serious health threat.

Also with an acute attack of cholecystitis, the following symptoms occur. They are not specific and can talk about other diseases, they only allow us to judge the extent of the lesion:

• nausea, the appearance of vomiting;
• diarrhea and diarrhea;
• increased temperature, increased respiration and pulse;
• constipation and bloating - in some cases.

If you have symptoms of an acute attack, it is important to consult your doctor as soon as possible and make a correct diagnosis. When diagnosing it is difficult to immediately distinguish an acute attack of cholecystitis from other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms of chronic cholecystitis

In some cases, the acute disease becomes chronic. Then all the symptoms are smoothed out, but they can be worried about the exacerbation of the wrong treatment or its complete absence. In chronic conditions, the following symptoms may be of concern:

• a constant feeling of heaviness in the abdomen;
• bloating in the abdomen, sometimes the occurrence of nausea, often without vomiting;
• smack of bitterness in the mouth;
• sometimes - increase in temperature to low values ​​of 37 - 38 degrees;
• enlargement of the liver, sometimes it can be seen on palpation.

With competent therapy, similar symptoms of chronic form should almost completely disappear, and a remission phase may occur.

Important! Pains in the liver and gallbladder with chronic disease are almost absent.

Diagnostics

For diagnosis and treatment of the disease you need to immediately consult a specialist - gastroenterologist. However, it is worth noting that, when suspected of an acute attack, it is recommended that an "ambulance" be called as soon as possible in order to prevent the development of complications.

Cholecystitis is diagnosed by symptoms with the use of methods of provocation of pain, the most common method is palpation, light tapping on the area of ​​the right lower rib. With cholecystitis, the response will be acute pain. There are other methods of provoking pain, but they are more difficult, they are sufficiently proficient in specialists.

Then, in the hospital, additional examinations are carried out. At a cholecystitis necessarily take a blood on the analysis, do US of a cholic bubble and a liver. Additional tests may be prescribed if any complications are present. Without a complete examination, you can not start treatment.

Important! To which doctor should I go for cholecystitis? Read here.

Treatment at home

As a rule, the first attack of the disease is always quite unexpected. At an exacerbation it is important to remove an attack, then after mitigating the symptoms, you should immediately begin a full-fledged treatment of the disease.

In acute cholecystitis, it is important to immediately call an ambulance at the first sign of malaise in the patient. Before the ambulance arrives, the patient should lie down, something cold should be put on the stomach in the liver and gall bladder.

Do not eat, only normal water is allowed to the patient. If a person tolerates painkillers - antispasmodics, you can give No-Shpu, Papaverin, Analgin. When urge to vomit, you should not restrain it, then you should give plenty of drink.

Important! On the treatment of chronic cholecystitis at home, you can find out in our article.

Then an acute attack is removed in a hospital. Subsequently, the following groups of medicines are used to prevent and relieve attacks of cholecystitis. Do not take them alone, you can worsen the course of the disease:

1. Antibiotics. With this disease, there is almost always a bacterial lesion, the choice of the drug depends on the type of infection, the course of antibiotic treatment usually lasts 5-10 days. Prescribe antibiotics can only a doctor, otherwise you can provoke an exacerbation of the disease.
2. Medicines - antispasmodics for improving the outflow of bile and normalization of the functioning of the intestine. Usually accept No-Shpu and its analogues.
3. If the patency of the bile ducts is not compromised, prescribe cholagogue that will help get rid of its congestion.
4. If violations in the liver are prescribed drugs - hepatoprotectors.

In rare cases, surgical intervention with complete removal of the gallbladder is required, it is necessary for acute peritonitis, acute obstruction of the ducts. In other cases, surgical intervention is required depending on the characteristics of the course of the disease.

Important! Without urgent treatment, acute cholecystitis can be deadly.

Diet

Subsequently, to avoid acute attacks of cholecystitis did not occur, you should follow a certain diet that will help restore digestion. If you have a chronic illness, you will have to observe it all your life.

For chronic cholecystitis, take food often, in small portions. Fat products are excluded, preference should be given to plant foods with a high content of useful for digestion fibers.

This excludes fatty foods, especially animal origin, products that affect the acidity of the stomach, which can induce indigestion. The diet of a patient with cholecystitis should be as simple and healthy as possible.

Important! Learn more about the diet for cholecystitis of the gallbladder, you can here.

Treatment with folk remedies

It is impossible to completely cure this disease with folk methods, however, it is possible to use folk remedies to improve the body's state in chronic cholecystitis and prevent exacerbations.

With this disease, vegetable juices are extremely useful. It is recommended to drink beet juice, take a teaspoon of black radish juice. The juice of this vegetable should be mixed with honey and taken orally once a day in the morning.

For the normalization of digestion with cholecystitis mint tea is useful. To the tea leaves should be added a few leaves of dried mint, ready-made tea should be drunk, biting with a teaspoon of honey.

With timely care and competent treatment, complications with cholecystitis will not develop. In general, if done correctly, the outlook is favorable. The main thing is to follow the diet and follow the doctor's advice so that there are no more exacerbations.