What are gallstones?
Gallbladder stones are the hardened deposits of a digestive fluid that might form inside your gallbladder. As you probably know already, the gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located just beneath your liver, on the right part of your abdomen. Gallbladders hold a digestive fluid that’s released into your small intestine. This fluid is called ‘bile’.
In terms of size, gallstones often vary. They can be as small as a grain of sand and as large as a golf ball. Also, the number of stones developed inside the gallbladder varies depending on individual cases. Many people might develop just a single gallstone, while others might develop multiple gallstones simultaneously.
People that experience gallstone symptoms generally require to undergo gallbladder removal surgery. In this regard, it’s worth noting that those gallstones that don’t show any symptoms and signs typically don’t demand any treatment.
Symptoms of gallbladder stone are not hard to detect, especially when they have developed into a mess. However, we all want to detect the symptoms earlier so that gallbladder stones can be swiftly treated. But before that, we must have a clear idea regarding gallstones and their properties.
Symptoms of Gallbladder Stone
Well, did we already mention that gallstones may or may not show symptoms at an early stage? But when it does, you would be the first one to realize that you have gallstones inside your bladder. However, in case a gallstone arises in the duct and initiates a blockage, you might experience the following symptoms of gallbladder stone:
- Sudden intensifying pain around the upper right portion of the abdomen
- Sudden intensifying pain around the center of the abdomen; just beneath your breastbone
- Chronic back pain; generally between your shoulder blades
- Pain in and around your right shoulder
- Nausea
- Vomiting
It’s important to know that gallstone pain might last for several minutes and they can even stay for a few hours.
Causes of gallbladder stone
Despite years of research, it’s still not crystal clear what exactly causes gallstones to form. However, doctors do think that gallstones might result because of the following reasons.
- In case your bile contains too much cholesterol, gallstones might form. Generally, your bile consists of enough chemicals that dissolve cholesterol. However, when your liver excretes more cholesterol than what your bile can dissolve, that excess amount of cholesterol might form crystals and eventually transform into stones.
- Gallstones may form in case your bile contains too much bilirubin. Bilirubin is produced when your body breaks down RBC (red blood cells). Several conditions might cause your liver to produce too much bilirubin. Such scenarios include biliary tract infections, liver cirrhosis, and other blood disorders. The excessive bilirubin then leads to gallstone formation.
- Another reason why stones may form is that your gallbladder doesn’t empty itself correctly. In case that happens, bile often becomes very concentrated, which in turn contributes to gallstone formation.
Gallstone Risk factors
Here are the factors that might accelerate your risk of gallstones:
- Being a female
- Above the age of 40 years
- Being obese
- Being pregnant
- Being sedentary
- Regular consumption of high-fat, high-cholesterol, and low-fiber diet
- Family history of gallstones
- Having diabetes
- Having liver disease
In case you have such habits, consult your doctor and bring an end to your chances of gallstone formation.