The American Liver Foundation reports that more than 25 million people are afflicted with liver and gallbladder disease each year. Though few treatments effectively eliminate chronic liver disease, avoiding alcohol and other toxins helps to safeguard a vulnerable liver.
Pain in the abdomen can have a variety of causes, and should always be brought to a physician’s attention. When living with liver disease, some people will feel actual pain over their liver. However, others may just notice local discomfort, a feeling of fullness or no extraordinary sensations at all. When right upper quadrant pain is due to inflammation of the liver, it is usually during the acute stage of liver disease or during a flare-up. In either case, the pain is due to liver inflammation that causes irritation and distention of the liver’s surface. Aside from these occasions, the liver itself is rarely tender.
Liver cancer may be the cause of abdominal or right upper quadrant pain. People with a history of chronic Hepatitis B or C, and those with cirrhosis due to any chronic liver disease are at an increased risk for developing liver cancer. If experiencing pain from liver cancer, always consult with your physician prior to attempting any do-it-yourself approaches.
The gallbladder is a little pear-shaped pouch tucked behind the lobes of the liver. Its main job is to store up the cholesterol-rich bile that’s secreted by the liver. Bile helps your body digest fatty foods. So when that piece of prime rib reaches the intestines, they send a message up to the gallbladder to send some bile their way. Once the bile saturates your steak, it becomes more digestible and easily makes its way through the rest of the digestive process.
Gallbladder Inflammation
By stretching and inflaming its sac, the formation of stones in the gallbladder is a painful experience. Often occurring in those with liver disease, especially cirrhosis, gallstones affect approximately twenty million Americans. The pain characteristic of gallstones is severe and recurring, usually located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. This pain can radiate to the shoulder or back, and is typically accompanied by nausea and vomiting. People with symptomatic gallstones require surgical removal of the entire gallbladder, not just the gallstones.
3 Non-pharmaceutical Techniques That Could Reduce Gallbladder And Liver Pain
If abdominal pain is the result of liver or gallbladder inflammation, you can be proactive in its reduction between doctor appointments. Although discussing any home treatment with your doctor is a prerequisite, combining consumption of a root vegetable, taking a specific herbal supplement, and applying a compress to the area of the liver can significantly relieve hepatic inflammation.
According to Emily A. Kane, ND, L.Ac., improving liver function (and therefore reducing inflammation) can be aided by avoiding all toxins, and using beets, milk thistle and castor oil packs.
1. Beets – Beets improve liver function primarily by thinning the bile. When thinned, the bile flows more freely through the liver and intestines where it can break down fat and stimulate peristalsis. Another benefit of enhanced bile flow is the reduced likelihood of forming gallstones. When bile is moving easily, there are fewer opportunities for congestion causing inflammation. Seek out organically grown beets because, as a root crop, they are particularly prone to absorbing toxins from the soil.
2. Milk Thistle – Used medicinally for over 2,000 years, milk thistle is a well-known protector against liver injury. Milk thistle helps the liver in three distinct ways. First, milk thistle can incorporate itself into the liver cells and prevent the absorption of toxins into the cells. Second, milk thistle is a potent antioxidant that prevents oxidative damage in the liver tissue. Third, milk thistle actually helps repair damaged liver cells. With healthier liver cells, fewer toxins can aggravate the cells, which ultimately reduces liver inflammation. Most experts recommend milk thistle in its phytosome form for enhanced absorption.
3. Castor Oil Packs – Numerous research studies have described the positive effect that topical castor oil has on the immune and lymphatic systems. When absorbed, the oil increases the production of white blood cells and helps stimulate the drainage of toxins to the lymph system. To help improve liver function, castor oil can be applied externally over the liver then surrounded by heat.
4.Oregon grape enhances blood flow to the liver and increases bile production. It can be combined with dandelion and milk thistle in a tea. This blend is even more effective when mixed with herbs such as chamomile, marshmallow, and slippery elm, which have relaxing and soothing properties. This mixture will also help decrease gallbladder inflammation.
5.A daily teaspoon of apple cider vinegar is often recommended for gall bladder problems (gall stones in particular), as is a daily teaspoon of olive oil.
Specialities in Family health; autoimmune diseases; mental health; diabetes, cancer; fitness and nutrition.
