Bile duct blockage is considered an obstruction and blockage of the channels leading from the liver to the gallbladder, and then to the intestines. This is a kind of mechanical obstruction that occurs due to a stone or as a result of external compression of the ducts. Pathology is characterized by its causes, symptoms and consequences, which you should be aware of in order to correctly identify the disease and complete the full course of treatment.
Causes of blockages
Let's take a closer look at the description of the blockage of the bile duct.
Bile is produced in the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and then used in the intestines. After eating, a small portion of bile enters directly into the intestines from the duodenum, where it digests fats, especially of animal origin, and vitamins. The rest of the bile usually remains in the gallbladder.
In medicinepartial or complete obstruction of the biliary tract is allocated. The following factors may be responsible for blockage of the common bile duct:
- Cysts, stones in the bile ducts that get stuck in them completely or partially clog the lumen.
- Scars with strictures in the ducts.
- Various parasitic infestations.
Obstruction of the tract can provoke diseases such as cholangitis and cholecystitis along with chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic tumors, infections of the liver and intestines, recent operations on these organs and injuries to the right side of the abdominal cavity. Fluctuations in body weight along with being obese or losing weight too quickly can be causes of blockage.
What are the signs of blockage of the bile ducts, consider below.
Clogging pathogenesis
Bile, when passing through blocked ducts, cannot move at a normal speed. Because of this, it accumulates in the place where there is an obstacle, while stretching the walls of the elastic tube. Very often, inflammation soon develops in this area, due to which the mucous membrane thickens greatly, which in turn also causes a decrease in the diameter of the ducts.
Then bile is reabsorbed and serous fluid is released. This liquid is called white bile. This phenomenon indicates a significant damage to the liver tissue, due to which there is a failure of the functions of this organ along with a disorder of carbohydrate and fat metabolism and pathologicalchanges in the internal organs, for example, in the kidneys and heart.
Causes and symptoms of bile duct blockage are interrelated.
Directly in the liver itself, if a blockage occurs in it, the accumulated bile affects its cells in a toxic way, against which bile acids and bilirubin cause their destruction. Prolonged bile stasis causes severe pathologies of this organ, up to the development of liver failure. In addition, bile substances can enter the bloodstream, causing intoxication along with damage to blood vessels and body organs.
Symptomatics
Symptomatology of blockage of the bile ducts includes various components. For example, the following manifestations may be observed:
- Appearance of skin itching and rashes.
- Staining the skin and sclera yellow.
- The appearance of bitterness in the mouth, and in addition, a coating on the tongue.
- Bad breath.
- The occurrence of pain in the right hypochondrium.
- The appearance of a headache.
- Belly enlargement and slow heart rate.
- Slowing down the processes of blood clotting.
- A light-coloured and extremely foul-smelling stool.
- Dark urine stained with bilirubin.
What happens in advanced stages?
In advanced cases, patients may experience swelling along with sweating, and in addition, intellectual impairment. Since these symptoms can also manifest other diseases of the digestivesystem, the diagnosis is established only after special diagnostic procedures are carried out.
Diagnosis of the disease
To diagnose a blockage of the gallbladder duct, patients take a biochemical blood test and, based on the results, exclude cholangitis with cholecystitis, establish the total amount of bilirubin, liver enzymes, and alkaline phosphatase. Among the hardware research methods, ultrasound is prescribed, which makes it possible to determine whether there are stones and pneumobilia in the bile ducts, that is, the presence of air in them, which can occur as a complication of hepatic and biliary pathologies.
Endoscopic or laparoscopic examination
These techniques establish the presence of cysts or stones in the bile ducts. Such studies are prescribed if the symptoms of the disease are mild and there is an assumption that the pathology is still in its mild form. Diagnostic tools also involve taking a piece of tissue if cancer is suspected.
Magnetic resonance and computed tomography allow you to see detailed images of the ducts of the liver and pancreas. If the diagnosis of "blockage of the bile ducts" is confirmed, then therapy is prescribed based on the results of the study.
Treatment of pathology
Treatment of blockage of the bile ducts aims to completely or at least partially relieve them ofblocking. One of the existing options for removing stones from the ducts is the use of an endoscope as part of an endoscopic cholangiopancreatography or papillosphincterotomy. Such operations are prescribed to patients in the event that the narrowing of the bile ducts is insignificant or they are clogged with small stones.
In addition, the patency of the channels is restored with the help of a stent, which is a hollow tube that is installed in clogged ducts. It helps to expand the duct when its narrowing is caused by a tumor formation. After some time, a second operation may be required to replace the stent.
In the event that the blockage of the bile duct was provoked by stones in the gallbladder, then it is removed, this operation is called cholecystectomy. Ductal sphincterotomy is used when stones are present in the bile and ducts at the same time.
In addition, they are used for treatment and traditional medicine. In order to stabilize the outflow of bile, patients are advised to take:
- A glass of apple juice with a spoonful of vinegar.
- A glass of water with four tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Decoction of ordinary mint.
- Juice made from one cucumber and beets and four carrots.
Any of these medicines should be taken daily for at least two weeks to get results. But it should be borne in mind that the alternative treatment of blockagebile duct cannot be a replacement for the traditional one, but only complements it.
Prophylaxis
To prevent blockage, diseases of the biliary tract and liver should be prevented. First of all, prevention of gallstone disease is required. For these purposes, you must do the following:
- Use only he althy yet nutritious food.
- Keep a he althy lifestyle in general. Such a measure will prevent many different diseases that provoke the appearance of barriers in the path of the bile duct. Such barriers are often tumors along with scars, adhesions, narrowing and the like.
In order to protect yourself from the occurrence of diseases of the digestive system, which can in turn provoke blockage of the bile ducts, the diet must be observed not from time to time, but throughout life. There are the most important canons:
- It is required to eat on time, whether breakfast, dinner or lunch. It is very important to observe the proportions of the products taken. One should avoid eating excessive amounts of food in the evenings.
- It is mandatory to include hot foods, such as soups, in the daily diet.
- It is important to completely avoid junk food in the form of hot dogs, fried street pies, french fries, branded sodas.
- It is imperative to exclude from your diet food that is harmful to the biliary tract. This is primarily fatty foods in the form of meat, sour cream, borscht and fried foods. It is forbiddenget carried away and spicy food with an abundance of black and red hot peppers and other seasonings. Extractive foods, which increase the secretion of digestive enzymes and bile, should also be avoided, so rich broths should not be eaten.
In the event that pathologies of the biliary tract and liver nevertheless arise, then they should be diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, since sooner or later they can lead to blockage of the bile ducts.
Disease prognosis
Prognosis for symptoms of bile duct obstruction is usually favorable, provided that the patient is correctly diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. The prognosis may be difficult in some of the following cases:
- Against the background of a cancerous lesion of the common bile duct. Such a diagnosis worsens the course of the disease and complicates treatment.
- Accession of infection and the occurrence of purulent processes in the bile ducts and gallbladder.
- Against the background of hasty surgical treatment in a serious condition of the patient in the event that infusion treatment was not carried out.
- In case of self-treatment at home with the involvement of folk methods.
Possible Complications
Complications of obstruction of the bile duct by a stone often occur if timely surgical therapy is not performed on the patient. Predominant blockage often leads to the following complications:
- The occurrence of sepsis, against which the entire bodyinfection is spreading.
- The appearance of bilirubin encephalopathy. At the same time, bilirubin affects brain tissue in patients, since the amount of this element in the body is significantly increased.
- The appearance of liver cirrhosis.
- Development of acute liver failure. This occurs against the background of a complete blockage of the ducts.
- The appearance of chronic liver failure. This occurs against the background of partial blockage of the ducts.
Final information
Thus, blockage of the bile ducts is a deterioration or complete cessation of their patency against the background of an obstacle to the flow of bile from the liver to the gallbladder. This disease is considered extremely unpleasant, and in difficult cases it also carries a danger in the form of various complications, against which all kinds of diseases of the digestive system can appear. Given the seriousness of this pathology, in no case should its appearance be ignored, and if the slightest symptom occurs, you should definitely contact your doctor.
We looked at the symptoms and treatment of bile duct blockage.
