Gall stones are hard stone like deposits that are formed by the digestive enzymes or fluids in the gall bladder sometimes causing severe pain and obstruction to the outflow of the contents of the gall bladder leading to jaundice. Gall bladder is an organ located on the right side of the abdomen just below the liver and stores bile, a digestive fluid necessary for the digestion of fats (cholesterol) in the body. Formation of gall stones are common in females above 40 years of age than males.

What are the causes for gall bladder stones?

• Overweight and obesity
• High cholesterol diet, high fat diet, low fibre diet
• Family history of gall stones
• Diabetes and other blood disorders like haemolytic anaemia where there is abnormal destruction of red blood cells.
• Crash dieting and fasting.
• Increased concentration of cholesterol in the bile or decreased amount of bile salts. Normally the bile contains enough bile salts to digest the cholesterol, when this concentration falls the cholesterol gets precipitated and forms crystals and eventually stones.
• Stagnation of bile in the gall bladder for a long time causes crystallisation of bile salts leading to stone formation
• Certain abnormalities in the blood like haemolytic anaemia cause break down of large number of red blood cells which lead to the increased production of bilirubin. Excess bilirubin contributes to stone formation.
• Abnormalities in liver like cirrhosis or any infections can also cause defect in bilirubin metabolism leading to formation of gall stones.

There are three types of gall stones:

Cholesterol stones- These are yellow in colour and the commonest type of stones and formed by crystallisation of cholesterol.

Pigment stones- These are black or dark brown in colour produced by too much bilirubin as in abnormalities of blood.

Calcium carbonate stones- This is an uncommon variety of gall stones which are greyish white in colour. Increased alkalinity of bile may favour precipitation of calcium carbonate leading to crystallisation.

What are the symptoms of gall stones?

Usually it is asymptomatic but when the stone obstructs the outflow of gall bladder it causes severe pain that radiates to the shoulder blades.

Sudden pain that intensifies rapidly in upper right side of the abdomen just below the nipples. There may even be nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and jaundice i.e yellowing of the skin, nails and white of the eye (sclera).

General management of Gall stones:

• Avoid crash dieting and fasting which increase the risk of gall stones
• Getting appropriately treated for blood and liver disorders
• Eat more fiber rich foods.
• Don’t skip meals.
• Maintain a proper healthy weight for age and height

Homeopathic Management of Gall stones- 

Homeopathy is based on a holistic approach taking the person’s mind, emotions and body into consideration and finding the root cause of the ailment and individualizing the case.

Gall stones can be effectively treated in Homeopathy. The Homeopath will ask you a set of questions about the following, hence a keen observation of yourself and your physical condition is necessary. Acute pain relieving medicines are given for temporary relief. Diathesis and constitutional prescription are practiced for prevention of relapses.

Homeopathic management and remedy selection focuses on the following factors.

• Causative factors as Homeopathy believes that finding out the cause is like uprooting a tree; which helps in giving permanent relief to the patient
• Duration and severity of suffering
• In case of pain- location of pain, any specific sensation related to pain.
• Modalities and concomittants- Factors that improves or worsens the condition, any other related/non related symptoms associated with present condition.
• Family and past history of similar illness and other generalities like appetite, thirst, sleep which help in individualizing the case which is unique to Homeopathy.

Reference- A Concise Textbook of Surgery- S Das