stomach ache

Gallstones are crystallized components of bile (bile for short). This fluid is produced in the liver and collected in the gallbladder, which is only a few centimeters long and lies directly below it. If necessary, the bile is passed via the bile duct into the small intestine, where it supports the digestion of fat.
The main component of bile is water, which makes up around 80 percent. It also contains bile acids, proteins and bilirubin (a yellowish breakdown product of the red blood pigment hemoglobin). Bile also contains cholesterol. Both bilirubin and cholesterol can crystallize, resulting in very fine stones just a few millimeters in size (semolina) or gallstones up to several centimeters in size. Doctors then speak of cholelithiasis.

It is estimated that between 5 and 25% of the population have gallstones. People over the age of 40 are more frequently affected, women more than men.

HIV stands for “Human Immunodeficiency Virus”, the pathogen that weakens the human immune system. Infection with HIV most often occur during unprotected sexual intercourse or through HIV-infected blood. Failure to treat HIV infection means that at a certain point in time the body will no longer be able defend itself against other infectious pathogens and falls seriously ill with normally harmless diseases. This condition is then called “Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome” (AIDS). People with AIDS often suffer from pneumonia and fungal diseases.

Indigestion is a collective term for complaints of the digestive organs. In most cases, the causes are harmless, such as eating too fast or eating spicy, greasy and fatty foods. Sometimes the reason for indigestion is to be found in rather serious illnesses like inflammation of the stomach, ulcers, pancreas inflammation, intestinal blockage or reduced blood flow in the intestine. Symptoms of indigestion may be felt occasionally or as often as daily. Common symptoms are stomach aches, diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence, heartburn, acid reflux and fatigue.