Gallstones: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment



Gallstones are hard deposits that form within the gallbladder, a small organ located in the upper right side of the abdomen. They can range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball and are composed of cholesterol, bile salts and calcium. While most people with gallstones never experience any symptoms, for some they can cause severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

Causes

The exact cause of gallstones is unknown but there are several risk factors that may increase your chances of developing them. These include being overweight or obese, having diabetes or liver disease, having high cholesterol levels or a family history of gallstone disease. Women are also more likely than men to develop gallstones due to hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause.

Symptoms
Most people with gallstones do not experience any symptoms at all but for some they can be quite painful. The most common symptom is sudden pain in the upper right side of the abdomen that may last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, fever and jaundice (yellowing of the skin).

Treatment
Treatment for gallstones depends on their size and whether or not they’re causing any symptoms. If you’re experiencing severe abdominal pain due to your gallstones then surgery may be recommended to remove them. This procedure is called cholecystectomy and involves removing either part or all of your gallbladder depending on the severity of your condition. In some cases medications such as bile acid sequestrants can be used to dissolve small stones over time but this isn’t always effective for large stones so surgery is usually recommended in these cases too.

If you think you havegallstones it’s important that you see your doctor so they can diagnose your condition accurately and provide you with appropriate treatment options if necessary

Tags:

. Gallstones, Abdomen, Cholesterol, Bile Salts, Calcium, Overweight/Obese, Diabetes/Liver Disease, High Cholesterol Levels, Family History of Gallstone Disease, Women (hormonal changes), Sudden Pain (upper right side abdomen), Nausea/Vomiting/Fever/Jaundice (yellowing of skin), Cholecystectomy (surgery to remove gallbladder), Bile Acid Sequestrants (medication to dissolve stones),

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