Gallstone Guide

A gallbladder attack may be common, but is not to be ignored.

Over the past few months you’ve had several unusual bouts of pain in your upper abdomen. Now, you’re having another episode. But this time, the pain is more constant, lasting much longer and accompanied by nausea. Tests show that you’ve been having gallbladder attacks due to gallstones.

Gallstones are common, and become more common as you age. Often, gallstones don’t require treatment. But sometimes, they cause painful attacks and lead to more serious complications. It’s important to see your doctor promptly.

Aiding Digestion

Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped sac located below your liver in the right side of your upper abdomen. It’s part of your biliary tract – the system in your body that transports bile. Bile is a greenish-brown liquid produced by your liver that helps break down fats and remove waste products from your body.

Your gallbladder concentrates and stores bile until it’s needed for digestion. After you eat, your gallbladder contracts and releases bile into your small intestine through a series of tubes known as bile ducts.

If the bile in your gallbladder becomes chemically unbalanced, solid particles can form. Over time, these particles may grow into stones. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. You can have just one or hundreds. The two most common types are:

Cholesterol stones – These are made mainly of cholesterol that the bile is unable to keep dissolved.

Pigment stones – People with blood disorders and severe liver diseases are most likely to get this type of stones, which are formed when the bile contains too much bilirubin, a waste product. Pigment stones are also more common in Asians.

Why Do Gallstones Form?