Bad food habits cause for gall stones
Over six per cent Indians are affected by gall bladder stones which are caused by a high intake of junk food, extremely high calorie and fatty foods.
While gall stones can remain undetected for a long time, when they grow past a minimum size it results in severe pain, indigestion, infection and jaundice. At times the pain is unbearable like in the case of Olympic Bronze medallist Mary Kom who had to be rushed to the hospital where it was diagnosed as stones in the gall bladder. Her gall bladder was removed by key-hole surgery.
Every year there are three to four lakh surgeries for removal of gall bladder as the number of stones in the bladder are usually high and the pain handicaps the person from carrying out normal activities.
The prime reason for gall bladder stones is consumption of high levels of fatty foods, which is seen across the society. Dr B. Narasaiah, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon of Star Hospitals explains, “Those who continuously consume high calorie foods that are rich in fat and carbohydrate are prone to gall bladder stones. Most modern Indian homes depend on one meal that is bought from outside. The eating-out habit is a major cause of the increase in gall stones. Also lack of physical activity is a cause of concern as what is eaten is not burnt by the body and it accumulates in some form or the other in the body.”
Women in the threshold of their forties are also prone to gall stones due to hormonal changes and setting of the menopause stage. Some of them during these times undergo changes which affects the chemical balance in the body leading to stones. Other triggers are hereditary and infection.
Unlike kidney stones, gall bladder stones have no chance of recurring once they are removed. The reason that doctors opt for removal of the gall bladder is to avoid the extreme condition of pancreatitis. There is a myth that the gall bladder produces bile, rather its function is to store 40 ml of bile out of the three litre produced by the liver. Removal of the gall bladder has no significant impact on digestion.
Dr M.B.V. Prasad, consultant surgical gastroenterologist and laparoscopic surgeon of KIMS says, “When we find that the symptoms of pain or infection are recurring, the best method is to remove the gall bladder. Removal cures the problem completely. Medicines work only in the early stages but if the person does not change his or her food habits, the problem is not solved. For us, in India, despite counselling, most patients are not able to alter their food habits.”
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