Gallstones are hard particles that develop in the gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ located in the upper right abdomen, below the liver. Gallstones can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. The gallbladder can develop a single large gallstone, hundreds of tiny stones, or both small and large stones. Gallstones can cause sudden pain in the upper right abdomen. This pain, called a gallbladder attack or biliary colic, occurs when gallstones block the ducts of the biliary tract.
What causes gallstones?
Imbalances in the substances that make up bile cause gallstones. Gallstones may form if bile contains too much cholesterol, too much bilirubin, or not enough bile salts. Scientists do not fully understand why these imbalances occur. Gallstones also may form if the gallbladder does not empty completely or often enough.
Who is at risk for gallstones?
Certain people have a higher risk of developing gallstones than others:
Other factors that affect a person’s risk of gallstones include:
What are the symptoms and complications of gallstones?
Many people with gallstones do not have symptoms. Gallstones that do not cause symptoms are called asymptomatic, or silent, gallstones. Silent gallstones do not interfere with the function of the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas.
If gallstones block the bile ducts, pressure increases in the gallbladder, causing a gallbladder attack. The pain usually lasts from 1 to several hours. Gallbladder attacks often follow heavy meals, and they usually occur in the evening or during the night.
Gallbladder attacks usually stop when gallstones move and no longer block the bile ducts. However, if any of the bile ducts remain blocked for more than a few hours, complications can occur. Complications include swelling of the gallbladder and severe damage or infection of the gallbladder, bile ducts, or liver.
A gallstone that becomes lodged in the common bile duct near the duodenum and blocks the pancreatic duct can cause inflammation of the pancreas.
Left untreated, blockages of the bile ducts or pancreatic duct can be fatal.
When should a person talk with a health care provider about gallstones?
People who think they have had a gallbladder attack should notify their health care provider. Although these attacks usually resolve as gallstones move, complications can develop if the bile ducts remain blocked.
People with any of the following symptoms during or after a gallbladder attack should see a health care provider immediately:
These symptoms may be signs of serious infection or inflammation of the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas.