A gallstone is a buildup of uric acid in the gallbladder. These very hard stones can vary in size, from as small as a single grain of sand to as large as a marble. Patients can have more than one gallstone. In fact, many patients suffer from several gallstones at once. Many times a patient can live for years with gallstones and never know they are there. However, once the stone or stones grow to a size that causes blockages, symptoms will begin to appear. Gallstones are easily treated by a doctor.
When the body needs the stored bile, it is delivered to the small intestine. Problems can arise if the gallbladder becomes inflamed, blocked, infected or develops stones. For reasons not well understood, stones can develop when...
A specific cause is not known, but it is thought that too much cholesterol, too much biliruben, less gallbladder emptying or too few bile salts may be the reason. Those over the age of 60 are at increased risk for developing ga...
According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), women are at a much higher risk than men of contracting gallstones. The site says the risk increases "especially for women who are pregnant, use ho...
The liver produces a compound called bile that is needed to help break up ingested fats and oils. The bile helps the intestines efficiently absorb these fats and oils, also known as lipids. Gallstones are masses that can develo...
Each year, approximately 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with gallstones, reports UpToDate, a peer-reviewed web resource that provides current clinical and health information. Talk with your doctor if you de...
The sizes of gallstones vary, and they can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Some people only have one gallstone, while others have many. It is common in mild cases to not have any signs or symptoms. Wh...
The liver produces digestive fluid, called bile, and stores it in the gallbladder. At times, the bile becomes solid and forms gallstones, also called cholelithiasis. Several types of gallstones exist, but the most common stone ...
When the digestive fluid bile hardens into solid balls inside the gallbladder, you have gallstones. They can be quite small or very large, and they can form singularly or in groups. The gallbladder helps digestion by storing bi...
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 ...
