How to treat gallstones during pregnancy

What are gallstones?

A gallstone is hardened digestive fluid such as bilirubin or cholesterol. Most of the time, these stones do not cause any symptoms or complications, especially if they are small. However, they may grow to the size of a golf ball and may lead to the blockage of the bile ducts. Women are more likely to develop gallstones than men, especially during pregnancy due to increased estrogen levels. Gallstones during pregnancy can cause health complications for the mother and fetus, including cholecystitis, jaundice, and pancreatitis.

Symptoms

Symptoms of gallstones do not appear until they grow in size to the point where they block the bile ducts, causing inflammation of the gallbladder. Then symptoms appear, the most important of which are:

• Severe upper abdominal pain, which often occurs after eating and lasts for a few hours.
• Slight fever.
• Chills.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Pain in the upper back between the shoulder blades.
• Bloating.
• Dark urine.
• Light-colored stool.
• Sweating profusely
• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.

If you experience these symptoms during pregnancy, it is important to see a doctor immediately. The doctor diagnoses gallstones through a clinical examination and an abdominal ultrasound. The doctor will also request laboratory tests to detect an increase in white blood cells, which is an indicator of inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas.

The effect of gallstones on the baby

Gallstones do not directly affect the fetus, unless the symptoms worsen and affect the pregnant mother’s nutrition, or the inflammation is severe and left untreated. In this case, the severity of the inflammation may affect the health of the pregnant mother and the fetus as well.

Causes

• High cholesterol in bile.
• Increased bilirubin levels in bile.
• Problems with the gallbladder, where it does not drain bile properly.
• High levels of estrogen cause high cholesterol.

Risk factors

• Overweight and obesity, which are considered causes of excessive estrogen levels.
• Gestational diabetes.
• Anemia.
• The pregnant woman is forty years or older.
• Eating an unhealthy high in fat diet that is low in fiber.
• A sedentary lifestyle.
• Having a family history of gallstones.

Gallstone prevention during pregnancy

While gallstones cannot be completely avoided, according to research and studies, some lifestyle changes have been shown to help reduce the risk of developing these stones during pregnancy. The most important of these are:

• Regularly exercising and doing safe activities for pregnant women, such as daily walking and swimming.
• Eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day.
• Maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity and weight gain.

Treatment

If these stones do not cause any serious symptoms or complications, doctors prefer to wait until after delivery to prescribe any treatment, with continuous follow-up during pregnancy. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe some medications that are safe for pregnant women. However, if the stones block the bile ducts, they prevent the drainage of the bile or cause severe inflammation that must be removed surgically. Although undergoing surgery during pregnancy is not an ideal option, a pregnant woman can undergo a cholecystectomy while she is pregnant, without the surgery affecting the pregnancy. The surgeon removes the gallbladder using a laparoscope, and the surgical incision is very small, and without undergoing general anesthesia, so the recovery period is shorter and the potential complications are much less.

To sum up,

Gallstones are common during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, particularly high levels of estrogen. While most of the time, these stones are not considered dangerous or pose complications, in many cases, the pregnant woman does not even feel any symptoms, but the appearance of the symptoms we mentioned may indicate obstruction of the bile ducts and inflammation of the gallbladder. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor immediately for diagnosis and treatment.