Table Of Contents
- What are Gallstones?
- What are the Causes of Gallstones?
- What are the Symptoms of Gallstones?
- How are Gallstones diagnosed?
- What is the Treatment for Gallstones?
What are Gallstones?
Gallstones are formed when the digestive fluids in the gallbladder crystallize. Stones in the gallbladder can be one or many. They can be in the size of a sand grain or a golf ball.
There are two types of gallstones:
- Cholesterol gallstones
- Pigment gallstones
What are the Causes of Gallstones?
Most of the gallstones, up to 80% of them, are made of cholesterol. When the liver makes more cholesterol than the bile can dissolve, these cholesterol gallstones are formed.
Solidified calcium salts and bilirubin make the remaining 20% of the gallstones, which are called pigment gallstones. When the gallbladder fails to break down the excess bilirubin produced by liver, these stones are formed.
What are the Symptoms of Gallstones?
Most of the times, gallstones do not show any symptoms. But if they do, the symptoms could be:
- Pain in the center of the abdomen
- Pain between shoulder blades
- Pain in the right shoulder
- Nausea
- Yellowing of skin
- High fever and chills
- Vomiting
- Pain in the upper right portion of the abdomen
How are Gallstones diagnosed?
Some of the tests run to diagnose the gallstones are:
Ultrasound and CT scans: The images produced by these tests reveal whether are not there are any gallstones in the gallbladder. Ultrasound is the most reliable imaging method to confirm the presence of gallstones.
Gallbladder radionuclide scan: During this test, a radioactive substance is sent into the patient’s veins, that reaches the liver and gallbladder through blood. A scan taken later will reveal any infection or blockage of the bile ducts due to the stones.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/ Hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan/Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): The bile ducts are highlighted with a dye and the reports of imaging tests help the doctor determine whether or not a gallstone is causing a blockage
Blood test: Through blood tests, the doctor will determine if gallstones have already led to jaundice, infection, or pancreatitis.
What is the Treatment for Gallstones?
When the gallstones are small they do not cause any symptoms. In extreme cases, the doctor will recommend:
Cholecystectomy: The gallbladder is removed through the traditional or laparoscopic surgical procedure. In the absence of gallbladder, the bile flows from liver to intestines.
Medication: In some cases, the doctor will recommend medicines to dissolve the gallstones.
These medicines should be taken for a few months or years to completely dissolve and pass away the stones.
