Diseases & Conditions

Gallstones

Gallstones are solid deposits of cholesterol or calcium salts that form in your gallbladder or nearby bile ducts. They often cause no symptoms and require no treatment. But some people with gallstones have a gallbladder attack that can cause symptoms, such as nausea and an intense, steady ache in their upper middle or upper right abdomen. In some cases, the pain can be severe and intermittent.

You're at greater risk of developing gallstones if you're older, female or overweight. Rapid weight loss or eating a very low calorie diet also can put you at risk of gallstones.

Complications from gallstones can be serious, and even fatal, if left untreated. Fortunately, treatment for gallstones is usually straightforward, and newer techniques often allow faster recovery time.

You may not know you have gallstones until they're discovered during tests done for other reasons. But sometimes gallstones may cause certain signs and symptoms. Gallstone symptoms include:

• Chronic indigestion. Signs and symptoms of indigestion may include nausea, gas, bloating and sometimes abdominal pain. These signs and symptoms may occur or be made worse after you eat high-fat foods. But even if you have gallstones, they often aren't the cause of your digestive problems. A number of other conditions — including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and peptic ulcers of the stomach or small intestine (duodenum), or irritable bowel syndrome — also can cause chronic indigestion. For that reason, it's important to discuss your symptoms carefully with your doctor.
• Upper abdominal pain. Sudden, steady and moderate to intense pain in your upper middle or upper right abdomen may signal a gallbladder attack. The pain may occur one to two hours after eating but may also occur at other times — even at night. It can last about 30 minutes to several hours. Gallbladder pain usually starts in your upper middle or upper right abdomen and, on occasion, may shift to your back or right shoulder blade. After the pain subsides, you might have a mild aching or soreness in your upper abdomen that can last for up to a day or so. If you've had one gallbladder attack, the odds are about seven in 10 that you'll have additional attacks.
• Nausea and vomiting. These signs and symptoms may accompany a gallbladder attack.
• Fever. Gallstones sometimes get trapped in the neck of the gallbladder and can cause persistent pain that lasts more than several hours and is accompanied by fever. If you experience this type of persistent pain or you have a fever with the pain, seek medical attention right away.

Symptoms of bile duct obstruction
Sometimes small gallstones escape the gallbladder and enter the duct leading from your liver and gallbladder to your small intestine (common bile duct). They may also occasionally enter the duct leading to your pancreas. In some cases, a stone may block this duct — a condition called pancreatitis, which can be fatal if you don't receive treatment. You'll likely have pain and sometimes fever due to inflammation at or near the site of the blockage. Other signs and symptoms of bile duct obstruction include:

• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• Clay-colored stools
• Fever

If you experience any of these signs and symptoms, seek medical treatment right away. Keep in mind that sometimes you may have jaundice and changes in the color of your urine or stools without also having much pain or indigestion.