Gallstones are hardened deposits of the digestive fluid in the gallbladder. It is a small pear-shaped organ present on the right side of the abdomen under the liver.

Gallstones range in sizes. It can be as small as a grain of sand or as big as a golf ball. Some patients have one gallstone, while some others may have multiple gallstones. 

Patients who feel the signs of gallstones problem, for gallbladder stones treatment, undergo gallbladder stones surgery. Gallstones that do not show any symptoms generally do not need any treatment. However, let us read more to understand it better. 

What Are the Symptoms of Gallstones?

Many patients do not experience any symptoms related to gallstones. These gallstones are known as silent or asymptomatic gallstones. These gallstones do not hinder the proper working of the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. 

If gallstones block the bile duct, it may result in the following symptoms:

  1. Nausea or vomiting
  2. Pain on the right shoulder
  3. Pain between shoulder blades
  4. Sudden or rapid increasing pain in the upper right portion of the abdomen
  5. Intensifying pain in the centre of the abdomen, just below the breastbone

Gallbladder attacks are experienced by patients generally during the evening and night hours. It can be cured by removing the gallstones. Patients might experience severe complications if the bile duct remains blocked for more than a few hours, as it may affect the functioning of the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts.

What Are the Causes of Gallstones?

Some leading causes of the formation of gallstones are as follows:

  1. Excessive Cholesterol in Bile

Generally, bile contains enough chemicals to dissolve the cholesterol. Still, if the liver secretes more than the average amount of cholesterol that bile can not dissolve, it forms into crystals and eventually turns into stones.

  1. Excessive Bilirubin in Bile 

Bilirubin is a chemical formed by the breaking down of Red Blood cells. Under certain conditions, the liver produces too much bilirubin, including liver cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, and other blood disorders. This excessive bilirubin can cause gallstones formation.

  1. Gallbladder Does Not Empty Properly

If the gallbladder does not get empty properly, bile gets concentrated, leading to gallstones.

When To Consult a Doctor for Gallstones

A patient should seek immediate attention of the doctor if they experience the following signs:

  1. Severe abdominal pain leaves the uncomfortable patient sitting in any position.
  2. Yellowing of skin and whites of eyes.
  3. High fever with chills.

The patient must undergo gallbladder stones treatmentif they experience such severe complications.

What Are the Associated Risk Factors?

Some significant factors that can lead to the increase in the risk of gallstones in the patient are as follows:

  1. Being sedentary
  2. Being pregnant
  3. Being a female
  4. Age 40 or older
  5. Eating a high-fat diet
  6. Eating high cholesterol diet
  7. Eating low fibre diet
  8. Having a family history of gallstones

Some other factors are listed:

  1. Being overweight or obese
  2. Having diabetes
  3. Losing weight very quickly
  4. Having certain blood disorders like Sickle Cell Anaemia 
  5. Having liver disease
  6. Consuming medications that contain Oestrogen or hormone therapy drugs
  7. Insulin resistance
  8. Metabolic syndrome 

How Can Gallstones Be Treated?

Silent or asymptomatic gallstones are not treated as they affect the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder functioning. But if the patient has gallbladder attacks, then they are recommended to consult a Gastroenterologist. The Gastroenterologist may prescribe some medications or might ask the patient to undergo surgery. Nonsurgical gallstones treatment includes ERCP or dissolving cholesterol gallstones.

Diet Of a Patient Having Gallstones 

Patients who have gallstones are recommended to follow a strict diet. They should avoid consuming high cholesterol and high-fat diets. It is beneficial and practical if patients lose weight by making changes in their diet plan. However, some of the food items that the patients should avoid are as follows:

  1. Sausages
  2. Fatty meat cuts
  3. Meat pies
  4. Biscuits and cakes
  5. Lard and butter 
  6. High-fat dairy
  7. Vegetable oil
  8. Peanut oil
  9. Acidic foods
  10.  Carbonated soft drinks

Prevention From Gallstones

A patient can reduce the risk of gallstone formation if they follow:

  1. Not skipping meals
  2. Losing weight slowly as rapid weight loss can cause a high risk of gallstones formation.
  3. Eating more higher-fibre foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
  4. Maintaining a healthy diet by reducing the risk of obesity. Obesity is one of the major causes of gallstones formation.

The Bottom Line

Gallstone is a problem that can be seen in almost all older adults. It’s becoming widespread nowadays. If the patient experiences severe complications and has intensifying abdominal pain, they should seek immediate medical support and go for gallbladder stones treatment.Keeping in mind some preventive measures and applying them into the daily routine can help the patient stay out of gallstones. Gallstones may seem insignificant at first, but they can aggravate very quickly. One should be careful about their well-being and should consult a doctor immediately.