Nausea and pain in the upper abdomen occur periodically in many people. Often these symptoms indicate the development of inflammation in the organs of the digestive tract. Unpleasant sensations in such cases are almost always associated with the use of certain products. Pain and nausea may indicate thickening of the gallbladder tissue. Despite the fact that this organ is small in size, the symptoms of its inflammation are very pronounced. Are women more likely to be diagnosed with hardening of the gallbladder walls? What is it and why does it occur? It is worth noting what functions this body performs. It serves as a reservoir for bile. During the digestion of food, this biological fluid is released into the lumen of the duodenum. This is accompanied by contraction of the gallbladder. The sealing of the walls of the organ leads to a violation of its main function. As a result, bile stagnates (cholestasis), and the digestion process slows down. In addition, the organ can increase significantly in size, which leads to pain.
Whythickening of the gallbladder wall occurs?
The tissue that makes up an organ cannot thicken for no reason. Various unfavorable factors lead to this, which can be both exogenous and endogenous. Thickening of the gallbladder wall occurs for the following reasons:
- Chronic inflammation of the organ - cholecystitis. This disease is considered one of the most common ailments of the digestive system. As you know, the inflammatory process causes swelling and hyperemia of the walls of the body, and the permeability of small vessels increases. Chronic cholecystitis is characterized by phases of exacerbations and remissions. As a result, the edema of the walls is replaced by an increased growth of connective tissue, which, in turn, is fraught with the development of organ compaction and adhesions in the gallbladder.
- Calculous cholecystitis. In addition to the chronic inflammatory process, this pathology is accompanied by the formation of stones in the lumen of the organ. Calculi prevent the evacuation of bile.
- Congenital organ deformities. Many people are diagnosed with an inflection and other changes in the configuration of the gallbladder during the study. Improper structure contributes to the development of cholestasis. And he, in turn, causes chronic inflammation and thickening of the walls.
- Excessive consumption of hard-to-digest food. This refers to a large number of fatty, bitter, s alty foods.
- Diseases of the digestive system. Chronic hepatitis and pancreatitis often coexist with inflammation of the gallbladder.
- Heart failure. Long-termcardiac pathologies lead to the formation of edema both on the skin and in the internal organs.
- Polyps and other neoplasms. The growth of an organ tissue is always accompanied by a thickening of its walls.
All these reasons must be taken into account in order to cure chronic cholecystitis. Deformation and compaction of the walls of the gallbladder are dangerous for the development of unpleasant consequences. Among them - inflammation of other organs of the gastrointestinal tract, indigestion.
Tissue thickening symptoms
Consolidation of the wall of the gallbladder does not appear outwardly. Therefore, if this process is suspected, it is necessary to undergo an examination, in particular an ultrasound scan. Manifestations of the disease are not always expressed, but only during the period of exacerbation of inflammation of the organ. At the same time, symptoms such as nausea, a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, pain in the right abdomen, and general weakness are noted. During remission, these signs are absent. However, after eating fatty and hard-to-digest foods, the discomfort reappears.
Nausea and bitterness in the mouth during an exacerbation are not always associated with food. Often patients complain of discomfort in the morning, before going to bed. After eating, the symptoms are aggravated. Sometimes there is vomiting of bile.
Physical examination for cholecystitis
Seeing the conclusion of an ultrasound examination, patients begin to be interested in the question: what does thickening of the walls of the gallbladder mean? It should be noted that these wordsrefers to a morphological change in an organ. Wall compaction is not an independent diagnosis. This symptom is detected during an instrumental examination. This sign almost always means that the patient has chronic inflammation of the gallbladder.
However, the doctor must be convinced of this. For this purpose, a physical examination is performed. Specific signs of cholecystitis include:
- Soreness when pressure is applied to the area of the bladder (Ker's symptom).
- Increased discomfort on palpation during inhalation.
- Pain when tapping on the right costal arch (Murphy's symptom).
All these signs are detected in both acute and chronic cholecystitis. Therefore, to find out if there is a thickening of the walls of the organ, an ultrasound examination is performed.
Diagnosis of diseases of the gallbladder
Signs of thickening of the walls of the gallbladder are indications for diagnostic procedures. The laboratory features of chronic cholecystitis include: increased AST and ALT. The level of these enzymes increases with stagnation of bile in the ducts. During the period of exacerbation, leukocytosis and acceleration of ESR in the blood test are noted.
The thickness of the walls of the organ should not exceed 5 mm. An increase in this indicator indicates the presence of a chronic inflammatory process. Also, when the walls are thickened, a change in the echo density of the contours of the organ is noted.
In addition to ultrasound, computed tomography of the abdominal cavity is performed,radiography. In some cases, special invasive studies are required. Among them is retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
Condensation of the walls of the gallbladder: treatment of pathology
Treatment of cholecystitis is based on diet therapy, the use of medications. With calculous inflammation, an operation is performed - an ectomy of the gallbladder. Drugs that improve the outflow of bile include Allohol, Holosas, Ursosan. In case of exacerbation, antibiotics are prescribed. To reduce spasm of the muscles of the organ and relieve pain, the drug "No-shpa" is used.
Proper nutrition for cholecystitis
When sealing the walls of an organ, you need to constantly follow a diet. In order not to cause an exacerbation, it is necessary to exclude smoked and overly s alty foods, fatty foods from the diet. It is also undesirable to eat vegetables that irritate the mucous membrane of the organ (radish, radish). Patients are advised to prepare meals from lean meats and fish. Patients benefit from dairy products, cereals, vegetable and fruit purees, soups.
Consequences of thickening of the walls of the organ
What can hardening of the gallbladder wall lead to? If the disease is not treated, complications arise. Frequent exacerbations lead to increased compaction of the tissues of the organ. As a result, adhesions form in the gallbladder. Chronic cholecystitis is dangerous by the spread of the inflammatory process. This leads to the emergence of other pathologies -hepatitis, gastroduodenitis, pancreatitis. Stones in the lumen of the organ can cause perforation, peritonitis.
Prevention of thickening of the walls of the organ
To avoid thickening of the walls of the gallbladder, it is necessary to prevent the development of chronic pathology. To do this, it is recommended to eat right (do not abuse fatty, spicy foods). In the presence of helminthic invasion, parasites should be disposed of, as they often inhabit the bile and hepatic ducts. Patients who have organ abnormalities are required to be examined at least once a year.
