Identify and act on your gallstone symptoms

3-minute read

The gallbladder functions silently, and we usually don't even know it's there. It's a small, pear-shaped organ that sits just underneath the liver in your upper abdomen, and its job is to store bile until it's needed to break down fats in food. Trouble starts when bile crystallizes into tiny stones known as gallstones. These gallstones block the release of bile into the small intestine and cause intense pain, one of the main gallstone symptoms. When gallstones cause a painful blockage, it's called a gallbladder attack.

Gallstones are made mostly of hardened cholesterol (called cholesterol stones) and they can form after eating a fat-heavy meal. Gallbladder attacks are so intense you might mistake the pain for appendicitis.

The other main type of gallstones, called pigment stones, are composed of bilirubin and calcium salts. Pigment stones can be associated with liver disease, bile duct infection, or certain types of anemia.

Who's at risk for gallstones?

Gallstones are much more prevalent in women because estrogen increases cholesterol in the bile. Women who take estrogen therapy or birth control pills have a higher risk for gallstones and gallstone attacks.

Some chronic conditions, such as diabetes and spinal injuries, can affect the gallbladder's ability to contract and release bile as needed, raising your risk for gallstones. Rapid weight loss, primarily through bariatric surgery, also puts you at high risk.

Gallstone attacks hurt

When gallstones develop and block the common bile duct or disrupt the biliary system's processes, you might feel intense pain, called biliary colic, in the upper abdomen. The upper abdomen houses other organs, too, so getting to an emergency department is critical to ensure your symptoms are assessed and any other more severe issues can be eliminated.

If your medical provider suspects you're having a gallbladder attack, you'll have a physical exam and an abdominal ultrasound. If necessary, your provider might run other tests, including magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. During this test, a scope goes into your stomach and views the biliary ducts so your provider can see what's causing the issue.

Treatment options

You might not need treatment for gallstones, especially if they don't cause symptoms, and most people are unaware they have gallstones at all. However, if you have a gallstone attack that causes biliary colic, you'll likely need to have the stones or your gallbladder removed to prevent further issues.

Although medications can dissolve some stones over time, the gold standard for gallstone attack prevention is laparoscopic gallbladder removal. You might have heard of a treatment called shockwave therapy, in which electromagnetic waves sent from outside the body obliterate the gallstones, but it's performed very rarely and gallstones can come back after treatment.

Luckily, our bodies can conduct bile as needed to the small intestine through different routes, so gallbladder removal is generally a straightforward solution. It's vital to have gallstones addressed so they don't turn into a more serious condition, including cancer.

Make an appointment with one of our general surgeons at Reid Health to discuss gallbladder concerns and solutions.