Have you recently been diagnosed with gallbladder polyps? Are you worried about how it can affect you and your normal bodily functions? Are you troubled that it may cause future health conditions? Has your doctor mentioned specific procedures that you have to go through to help you handle your situation? It is understandable to be anxious about things that involve our health and our lives and to better help you go through your condition, here is a comprehensive guide that will surely alleviate some of the nagging questions in your mind. Or perhaps, you are a husband, wife, brother, sister, child, or friend of a person suffering from gallbladder polyps. The information that you will read here can assist you with how you can help your loved one in this crucial time of dealing with their gallbladder polyps.

Further information on gallbladder polyps. A polyp is a growth in the walls of the gall bladder which is caused by the abnormal accumulation of mucous membranes that should ideally be eliminated naturally by the body. A less commonly occurring gallbladder polyp could be a lesion that appears like a growth in the gallbladder. These are polypoid lesions which could be in the form of adenomyomatosis, cholesterol polyp or cholesterosis, hyperplastic cholecystosis, cholesterosis with fibrous dysplasia of gallbladder and adenocarcinoma. For some reason, gallbladder polyps are more common in men than in women and in those of Chinese ethnicity and descent. Gallbladder polyps are definitely not prejudice.

In most cases, gallbladder polyps are harmless and are benign. Usually, they just stay at the same size years after the first detection of the growth. But sometimes, especially if left undetected, these gallbladder polyps can grow overtime and become malignant. When a polyp is larger, a patient has a greater risk of cancer in the gallbladder. Polyps which are measured to be larger than a centimetre have a great chance of becoming, if not already malignant.

The thing about gallbladder polyps is that it is relatively difficult to diagnose and discover as it does not have a particular identifiable presenting symptoms that are quickly recognized by the patient himself / herself. Usually, a patient is diagnosed when certain diagnostic methods are used to detect other diseases or symptoms that may not be easily connected to the gallbladder. In a lot of cases, when a patient reports abdominal pain (which may not even be related to the gallbladder polyp or polyps), an ultrasound may be ordered and the results can show the presence and the exact size of the polyps in the gallbladder. In measuring the likelihood of cancer cells in gallbladder polyps, a PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography Scan) or a CT scan (Computed Tomography) may be done, especially when large polyps are detected. When monitoring the development of gallbladder polyps, these are also used to track the occurrence of suspicious alterations of the gallbladder polyps over time.

If gallbladder polyps are usually considered to be harmless, is there a need to do anything? It actually depends on the size of the polyp that was initially detected from the first ultrasound. If the gallbladder polyp was small (meaning, less than 1 centimeter), you can actually wait and see how it progresses over a span of time. It is advisable to have yourself checked every 3 to 6 months in a span of two years to have its growth and development monitored. If there is no change in growth of the gallbladder polyps, then you do not have to worry about doing anything. But if you see that it is growing at a steady rate, then you might consider the possibility of eventually having a cancerous gallbladder polyp and a surgical removal of your gallbladder can be a good option for you. However, if the polyp is greater than 1 centimeter, and is close to 1.5 centimeters, then there is a huge possibility of cancerous growth within the polyp that could lead to adenocarcinoma. In this case, the removal of the gallbladder should be done and as well as a cholecystomy to prevent the development of cancer or the metastases of an existing cancer.  

Whichever category that you or your loved one falls under, the decision of how to go about the treatment of gallbladder polyps require careful thinking and weighing of pros and cons while looking into the larger scope and the possibility of cancer. Reading extensively and comprehensively about all the details of gallbladder polyps and the procedures involved can really help a lot.

Ultimately, prevention is still better than cure. A gallbladder polyp is a combination of tissue and cholesterol and it just follows that eating a diet that is low in fat can really help in preventing gallbladder polyps from growing. Triglycerides do not just cause stroke and high blood pressure, it can also cause gallstones, and even gallbladder disease. There are also other concrete ways that you can avoid the growth of these polyps on the gallbladder. One way is to have a preference for vinegar and olive oil as a dressing for salads instead of mayonnaise-based dressings. You can also reduce your intake of red meat and make it lesser in frequency. Avoid eating fried foods or make an effort in lessening your usual intake if you do eat fried dishes. And if you are on weight loss regimens, steer clear from those crash diets as they may have harmful side effects on your gallbladder.

If you already have been diagnosed with gallbladder polyps, you can also do something to avoid aggravating your present condition. First of all, start committing to a better diet. Try to limit or completely stop your consumption of carbonated beverages like sodas, and dairy products that have a high fat content as well as meals and recipes that have them. Also, when you are grocery shopping, buy lean meat and also remove any visible fat and skin when you are cooking. Eat your higher carbohydrate meals in the morning or before noon.

Try to eat salmon as frequently as you can as this contains healthy doses of omega 3, vitamin D and selenium. Ask your medical practitioner about fish oil capsules. And when cooking at home, try to incorporate ginger and turmeric into your dishes as they are found to be really good in improving the health of your gallbladder. Lastly, try to have more fruits, vegetables and grains in your diet. Through these ways, not only would you be able to prevent the growth of gallbladder polyps, you will also prevent yourself from heart disease.

If you have any questions, advice, or further info on polyps please leave us a comment below. You can also click one of the social links above to let others know about our site if you feel it could be of help to anyone else. If you are looking for further information on dealing with gallbladder polyps issues you can Click Here to download a full report by David Smith, who is a Professional Natural Health Researcher and Author.