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What Are Gallbladder Stones?

  By Sobiya N. Moghul  posted Jan 12th 2013 at 7:00AM IN | Avg Rating
Healthy Living

gallbladder stones


The Gallbladder is a vital part of one’s body. This pear-shaped organ is situated right under the liver and stores bile – the digestive enzyme produced by the liver. The main function of gallbladder in the body is to digest the fats. However, problems with the gallbladder and biliary system are very common and might consist of swelling of the bile ducts and gallbladder, stones forming in the gallbladder, lack of free flow of the bile and muscular spasms of the bladder.

Gallstones are a common digestive problem that tends to become more frequent with age. The highest incidence occurs in people in their 50s and 60s.

According to MayoClinic, gallstones are defined as, “hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in your gallbladder.”

“Gallbladder stones range in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Some people develop just one gallstone, while others develop many gallstones at the same time.”

Symptoms of Gallbladder stones

•    Pain below the rib cage on the right-hand side of the body
•    Back pain
•    Nausea
•    Vomiting
•    Sweating
•    Restlessness


How Bad are Gallbladder stones

Gallbladder stones usually settle at the bottom of your gallbladder and most of the time. However, if a stone migrates up to the outlet of the gallbladder and becomes lodged in one of the bile ducts, it can block the flow of bile, building pressure in the gallbladder and causing pain. In such cases one experiences extreme pain in the upper abdomen and then spreads to your lower chest and back. 

An ultrasound is the best test for Gallbladder stones detection.

Treatment

Your doctor will give you medicines to subside the pain and dissolves the Gallbladder stones. In cases where the stones are larger in size and there is a complication involved surgery is used. Today laparoscopic surgeries are used to remove gallstones which is a minimal invasive procedure.

*Image courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images

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