1. Chronic Indigestion May Indicate Gallstones
A gallstone is a solid mass composed of cholesterol or calcium salt that forms and resides in your gall bladder. Some lucky individuals are asymptomatic for gallstones but many others experience unpleasant signs that something is amiss. Indigestion, including gas and bloating, can be a symptom of gallstones. Indigestion can also be a sign of other gastro-intestinal disorders, making it difficult to identify gallstones as the source of the discomfort. If you experience chronic indigestion after eating foods that are high in fat and show signs of other symptoms consistent with gallstones, ask your doctor to perform further testing that can positively diagnose gallstones. <
2. Nausea and Abdominal Pain Are Common Symptoms
Nausea and vomiting accompanied by abdominal pain is consistent with gallstones. Most people experience a steady pain on the right side of their bodies, starting from the stomach and sometimes continuing up through the right shoulder and side of the back. The pain usually ranges from moderate to intense in severity and can be last for hours at a time. This type of pain is referred to as a gall bladder attack. If you have a gall bladder attack, there is a 70 percent chance you will have another one at a later date. If you experience severe pain along with a fever, seek medical help immediately. This can indicate that gallstones are stuck in the neck of the gallbladder and must be removed.
3. Jaundice and Fever Are Symptoms of Bile Duct Obstruction
Sometimes gallstones form in the bile ducts that connect your liver and pancreas to the gall bladder. If the stones remain in this position too long, you may develop a painful and potentially life-threatening condition called pancreatitis. Signs that gallstones are causing obstructions are fever and jaundice, which manifests as a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience these symptoms.
4. Be Aware of the Risk Factors for Gallstones
The symptoms for gallstones vary from person to person and are symptoms that can point to a number of other illnesses as well as gallstones. For that reason, it is important to know the risk factors of the condition. Women are more likely to develop gallstones than men, in part due to the increased levels of estrogen in their bodies. Your likelihood to develop gallstones increases as your body mass index (BMI) increases, so people who are overweight should be especially vigilant about symptoms that are consistent with gallstones. Ethnic groups such as Native Americans and those of Mexican heritage are more likely to have gallstones than other racial populations. If you show digestive symptoms, pain or fever and fit into one of the high-risk groups, have your doctor perform a CT scan or sonogram to confirm a diagnosis of gallstones.
