Understanding Gallstones

According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 25 million Americans have gallstones — hard crystals that form in the gallbladder. Gallstones may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Most of this affected population has "silent gallstones," meaning it's asymptomatic and doesn't require treatment.

Unfortunately, not all gallstones are silent. The gallbladder stores bile (a liquid created by the liver that helps break down fatty foods). When gallstones become stuck in the narrow duct that carries bile to the small intestines, the gallbladder can become inflamed.

Symptoms and Treatment

If gallstones cause a blockage, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Back pain between your shoulder blades or in the right shoulder
• Chest pain
• Fever or chills
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sudden and rapidly increasing pain in the upper mid-abdomen or upper right abdomen that can last several hours
• Tea-colored urine or light-colored stool

These symptoms could mean surgically removing the gallbladder. Gallbladder surgery can often be done through laparoscopic methods — meaning quicker recovery and smaller scars when compared to traditional, open surgery.

Once the gallbladder is removed, most patients can return to normal activities in a few weeks. A low-fat diet may be recommended for the first few weeks after surgery.

Risk Factors

Gallstones form when bile has high cholesterol or bilirubin levels, but it can also be due to a lack of bile salts. The reason for these bile chances is not entirely understood. Known risk factors include:

• A high-cholesterol or high-fat diet
• Being 60 years or older
• Being born female
• Being of Native American or Mexican descent
• Being overweight or obese
• Blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia or leukemia
• Cirrhosis
• Diabetes
• Eating a low-fiber diet
• Having a family history of gallstones
• Liver disease
• Losing weight very quickly
• Low HDL (good) cholesterol
• Pregnancy
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Taking certain medications to lower cholesterol
• Taking medicines with a high estrogen content

If you have risk factors for gallstones, you don't have to wait for painful symptoms to seek help. Contact your primary care doctor, who can schedule a screening or refer you to a gastroenterologist.

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