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A recent ultrasound to monitor my fatty liver disease showed that I also have gallstones. I don't have any symptoms, but I haven't been able to get a face-to-face appointment with my GP to discuss what, if anything, needs to be done. I feel like I'm in limbo. I am 74 and fit for my age.
Don Rae, Allan Bridge, Stirlingshire.
Gallstones, medically known as cholelithiasis, are small stones usually made of cholesterol that form in the gallbladder.
Located beneath the liver, this sac-like organ stores bile, a fluid produced by the liver that helps break down fatty foods.
In most cases, these stones do not cause any symptoms and do not require treatment, and often their presence is discovered by chance, as in your case, when someone is undergoing an examination for another reason.
Gallstones are very common: About six percent of men and nine percent of women have them, and the possible causes are varied—from age to obesity to sudden weight loss.
Gallstones, medically known as cholelithiasis, are small stones usually made of cholesterol that form in the gallbladder
I can understand that it's alarming not to get advice on what to do next, but the official guidance is not to treat them unless they're causing problems.
Surgery to remove them is only really considered if they cause complications, such as: B. acute cholecystitis (an infection of the gallbladder), pancreatitis (an acute inflammation of the pancreas), or biliary colic (when a stone moves out of the gallbladder and causes a blockage). the nearby ducts that drain bile into the intestines - this is extremely painful and requires urgent medical attention).
The operation involves removal of the gallbladder and stones and is performed under general anesthesia.
The symptoms that indicate complications typically come on suddenly and include severe right upper abdominal pain, high fever and nausea - but since you don't have these, no intervention or treatment should be required.
However, if you experience any of the complications described above, you should immediately book in for surgery to remove your gallbladder, which is usually performed during a keyhole procedure. Hopefully you will have the opportunity to discuss the topic with a doctor in your office.
For years I have suffered from unpleasant small cuts in the corner of my mouth. I have tried many remedies but no luck. Can you suggest something?
Brian Gibson, via email.
That sounds like angular stomatitis, also known as angular cheilitis – a condition most common in older people and occurs when saliva builds up at the corners of the mouth, causing cracks.
The environment there - with constant moisture - promotes the growth of fungi and bacteria and causes inflammation.
Eczema, ill-fitting dentures, and drooling while sleeping can make things worse.
There is some evidence that deficiencies in certain nutrients may play a role - particularly insufficient B vitamins, iron or protein.
Other risk factors include long-term smoking and age-related wrinkles. I suggest you purchase a tube of two percent clotrimazole cream (available at the pharmacy under the brand name Canesten) and apply it sparingly with your pinky fingertip twice daily for at least two weeks.
This medication is both antifungal and antibacterial and should resolve the inflamed cracks.
After that, make it a habit to apply a small dab of Vaseline in the same way twice a day to prevent the skin from drying out.
This should almost certainly be effective.
Write to Dr. Scurr
Write to Dr. Scurr at Good Health, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email: drmartin@dailymail.co.uk - provide your contact details. Dr. Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. The answers should be considered in a general context. If you have any health concerns, contact your primary care physician.