What are Gallstones?
Gallstones are pieces of solid material that form in the gallbladder. These stones develop because cholesterol and pigments in bile sometimes form hard particles.
The two main types of gallstones are:
- Cholesterol stones: Usually yellow-green in color, approximately 80% of gallstones are cholesterol stones.
- Pigment stones: These stones are smaller and darker and are made up of bilirubin.
What are the causes of gall stones?
Several factors may come together to create gallstones, including:
- Genetics
- Body weight
- Decreased motility (movement) of the gallbladder
- Diet
What are the symptoms of Gallbladder Stones / Gallstones disease?
Gallstones often don’t cause symptoms. Those that don’t are called “silent stones.” A person usually learns he or she has gallstones while being examined for another illness.
When symptoms do appear, they may include:
- Pain in the upper abdomen and upper back; the pain may last for several hours.
- Nausea, Vomiting.
- Other gastrointestinal problems, including bloating, indigestion and heartburn.
Diagnosis of Gall Bladder stones
Diagnosis is the first step for the management of gall bladder stones, In many cases your primary care doctor suggest you to a surgical specialist for accurate diagnosis. There are various tests to find out the presence of gall bladder stones and if any associated complications are there.
Some commonly performed diagnosis tests are mentioned below:
Ultrasound: gallbladder surgeon most commonly suggest abdominal ultrasound to locate the gall bladder abnormalities, this imaging test is often able to diagnosis even small size stones, and inflammation in the gall bladder.
Blood tests: A liver function test is advised to assess whether patient is having jaundice or any inflammation in the liver, along with this certain baseline and specialized blood tests may be advised as per the clinical condition.
