Gallstones

Gallstones is a common condition in general, and despite the fact that it doesn’t cause severe symptoms in most cases, it can lead to serious complications in some of them.

Gallstones

The gallbladder is located in the upper right abdomen, under the liver, and it stores the bile, which is a digestive fluid that’s produced from the liver and responsible for digesting fats. Gallstones are hardened segments of this bile, and some people might have one gallstone only, while others might develop multiple ones.

Causes and risk factors leading to gallstones

There are two types of gallstones, cholesterol and pigment (bilirubin) gallstones, and they usually form due to the following reasons:

• Increased cholesterol in the bile: the bile normally has the sufficient amount of chemicals to dissolve the fats that come from the liver, but when there are increased amounts of cholesterol, the bile won’t be able to dissolve all of it, and then the excess cholesterol will turn into stones. This is the most common form of gallstones.
• Increased bilirubin in the bile: when old red blood cells break down, they produce byproducts; one of them is bilirubin. When there is a certain problem in the liver, it might lead to producing excessive bilirubin, which could transform into gallstones.
• The gallbladder doesn’t function properly: certain problems might cause the gallbladder to not empty properly, and that could lead to an increased concentration of bile in it, which might cause gallstones.

Some factors that increase the risk of gallstones:

• Females, especially after the age of 40.
• A diet that is high in cholesterol and fats and low in fiber.
• Not doing enough physical activity and having a sedentary lifestyle.
• Overweight and obesity.
• Rapid weight loss.
• Having certain conditions, such as diabetes, sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and liver disease.
• A family history.
• Pregnancy.
• Estrogen medications, like oral contraceptives or hormonal drugs.

Symptoms of gallstones

In most cases, gallstones don’t cause any symptoms unless they move and block a bile duct, which could cause:

• A sudden and sharp pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen or in the center of it.
• Pain in the right shoulder or in the back between the shoulders.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Sometimes, other symptoms manifest, like fever, rapid heartbeat, sweating, abdominal swelling, dark-colored urine, and light-colored stool.
• The pain might last from a few minutes to a few hours.

Complications of gallstones

Although not common, gallstones might lead to serious complications that sometimes are life-threatening:

• A blockage in the bile duct between the gallbladder or liver and the small intestines, which leads to cholangitis.
• A gallstone might get stuck in the neck of the gallbladder, which causes cholecystitis.
• A blockage in the duct that connects the pancreas with the common bile duct, which might cause pancreatitis.
• Hepatitis, septicemia, and rarely, gallbladder cancer.

Diagnosis of gallstones

• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.

Treatment of gallstones

• If the gallstones aren’t causing any symptoms or problems, no treatment is needed.
• When needed, cholecystectomy is the only long-term treatment for gallstones.
• In certain cases, some medications might be used to dissolve the gallstones. However, they might take months or years.
• You can reduce the risk of gallstones by maintaining a healthy weight, increasing fiber and reducing fats in the diet if they’re high, and losing weight slowly.