What Are Gallstones?

Humans have a pear-shaped sac called a gallbladder, which is located right below the liver. On some occasions, gallstones or small stone-like materials develop in it. Gallstones---or cholelith---are crystalline substances that result from unusually high concentrations of bile.

Development

• Gallstones develop when bile (liquid materials found in the gallbladder) solidify into hard pebbles. Bile is necessary in the body because it helps to digest fats and originates in the liver. However, bile is stored in the gallbladder until it is ready to be used by the liver. When the gallbladder contracts, it pushes the bile into a tube called the bile duct and is carried to the small intestine, where it can aid in the digestion process. Bile is made up of water, cholesterols, salt, proteins and fats. It also contains bilirubin, which is the material left behind when bile salts break down fat. If the bile has too much cholesterol, salt or bilirubin, it can eventually harden to form gallstones.

Types

• There are generally two kinds of gallstones. The first type, cholesterol stones, are distinguished by their yellowish or greenish color. These are primarily composed of solidified cholesterol and make up about 80 percent of gallstones. The second type are pigment stones made of bilirubin. These are dark in color and small in size. Gallstones can come in a range of sizes with some being as small as a grain of sand and others as large as a golf ball.

Causes

• Gallstones occur when bile has too much cholesterol or bilirubin. This can also be due to the body not producing enough bile salts or the inability to empty the gallbladder quickly enough. Some of the factors that affect the formation of gallstones include gender and weight; women are twice as likely as men to experience gallstones. Another reason for the formation of gallstones is excess weight, which leads to an increase of cholesterol levels in the body.

Symptoms

• Gallstones can travel to the bile ducts and create a blockage. If they are not removed, the gallbladder becomes infected and eventually ruptures. Symptoms of gallstones include constant pain in the upper right abdomen that tends to escalate, as well as pain in between the shoulder blades. Some people with gallstones experience nausea, vomiting and fever. The whites of the eyes and the skin also tend to have a yellowish hue.

Treatment

• The treatment of gallstones depends on severity. The most common way to alleviate the condition is through nonsurgical means. Medicines such as ursodiol and chenodiol, which are both made from bile acid, are used to dissolve the gallstones. If the attacks occur frequently, the best remedy is an operation called a cholecystectomy, where the gallbladder is removed.