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Risk Factors for Gallstones

Gallstones develop in the gallbladder causing some to experience pain and discomfort. Gallstones are usually small pebbled shaped. They form in the gallbladder when bile mixes with too much cholesterol, bile salts, or bilirubin, all of which can cause bile to harden and form stones.

When a stone passes into one of the bile ducts, pain is usually felt in the right upper abdomen, upper right shoulder, or between the shoulder blades.

What follows are risk factors that increase a person's chance of getting gallbladder disease, and its subsequent treatment.

  1. Age

    • Age plays a major role in developing gallstones. The older a person gets the more this risk increases, especially those over 60 because they tend to produce more cholesterol.

    Gender

    • Women are more prone to getting gallstones than men are. This happens because excess estrogen during pregnancy, hormone replacement therapies, and birth control pills cause women to make more cholesterol levels in the bile. These factors also decrease gallbladder movement. Both of these situations increase chances of gallbladder stone formations.

    Obesity

    • The chances of developing gallstones are high for people who are obese. This happens because bile salts are reduced, which leads to more cholesterol being made. When cholesterol increases, the gallbladder is less able to empty out, which results in gallstone formations.

    Pregnancy

    • Women who become pregnant have a risk of developing gallstones, which usually cause no problems during pregnancy. Pregnancy causes bile to become thicker and it is also harder for the gallbladder to empty. This can leave behind sludgy deposits that turn into gallstones. The risk of developing gallstones increases with each pregnancy.

    Losing Weight Too Fast

    • Losing wieght too quickly can cause the liver to secrete extra cholesterol into the bile. This causes the gallbladder to not empty properly and the it will contract less often. The extra cholesterol mixes with the contents left in the gallbladder and stones begin to form. People who lose 3 pounds or more a week are at higher risk of developing gallstones.

    Treatment

    • Many who suffer from gallstone pain will need treatment. The most common treatment is to completely remove the gallbladder. This procedure is done laparoscopically through three or four small incisions in the abdomen area. This type of surgery is less painful and allows people to be able to return to their normal daily activities quickly.

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