Gallstones affect both adults and children. They are hard stones which occur due to bile pigment, excess amount of cholesterol and bile salts in your gallbladder or bile duct. The treatment of this issue is most important otherwise it leads to several complications. Its best treatment is surgery, which involves a removal of gallbladder in patients. Another option is medication drugs for this health problem.

What are gallstones?

They are hard stones which mainly develop in your gallbladder. A blockage may cause discomfort and other health issues when it stops the flow of bile in the bile ducts.

Bile ducts involve the connection of organs in your digestive system. They are tiny canals which carry bile from the liver to your gallbladder. Once the food gets digested, it flows into your small intestine.

Types of Gallstones

The hard stones consist of different types. These are as follows:

Cholesterol stones: These most common gallstones are usually extracted from undissolved cholesterol. They occur due to an excess amount of cholesterol in your gallbladder.
Pigment stones: They are dark brown or black in color and made up of bilirubin and calcium salts in your bile. These stones affect certain health conditions such as blood disorders, liver cirrhosis etc.

Symptoms

The symptoms of gallstones mostly occur in severe cases. They are most common which affect each individual differently. These are as follows:

Chills
Indigestion
Abdominal bloating
Nausea and vomiting
Steady and severe pain in upper abdomen
Jaundice (Yellow eyes or skin)
Right shoulder pain
Belching
Intolerance of fatty foods
Pain in back between the shoulder blades

It is important for the individuals to consult with a relevant doctor immediately, when suffering with following symptoms:

Low-grade fever
Sweating
Clay-colored stools
Yellowish in skin
Chills
Whitening in eyes

Complications

Gallstones lead to several complications. These include the following:

Injury in bile duct
Cholangitis
Intestinal obstruction
Acute cholecystitis
Septicemia
Chronic gallbladder disease
Recurrent gallstones
Pancreatitis
Hepatitis

Diagnosis

The several diagnostic tests for gallstones are as follows:

Abdominal Ultrasound: The images can be captured through sound waves. This non-invasive imaging test is applicable for bloating, nausea etc.
Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography: The magnetic field and pulses of radio waves are used for creating images inside your liver and gallbladder.
CT scan: The horizontal or axial images of any body part are being captured through a combination of X-rays and other computer technologies.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: An endoscope is inserted through the stomach and small intestine. During this procedure, a surgeon injects a special dye which shows the bile ducts on your camera.
Blood tests: These tests are mainly useful to identify your pancreatitis, obstruction, etc.
Endoscopic Ultrasound: The body images can be captured from the combination of ultrasound and endoscopes.
Cholescintigraphy: A doctor checks the working of your gallbladder. The images can be created through the small amount of radioactive material and a special camera for detection of blockages and other health issues.

Treatment

This health issue requires treatment if it does not cause any symptoms but when they cause a blockage in the bile duct, then it requires treatment. Below are the following:

Surgery

A laparoscopic cholecystectomy is recommended for patients, which involves the removal of gallbladder fully. During this procedure, a surgeon cuts your abdomen in 3 or 4 small pieces. One larger cut is about 2 to 3 cm and others are 1 cm or less.

The carbon dioxide gas temporarily inflates your abdomen, in which your organs can be viewed easily.

A surgeon uses a long, thin telescope called laparoscope to attach with one of the abdominal cuts, which helps him or her to view the operation on the video monitor. After that, surgical instruments are involved for the removal of gallbladder.

During operation, an X-ray or ultrasound scan is performed when the gallstones may be present in your bile duct. They may be removed if they are found. If any complications occur then open cholecystectomy is suggested for patients.

In open surgery, a surgeon removes your gallbladder by making a 10 to 15 cm incision in your abdomen. It takes longer time to recover and causes more visible scarring for patients.

Medications

A patient may take ursodeoxycholic acid tablets to dissolve gallstones if they are small and do not contain calcium. These medications are not effective and take a long time to recover your gallbladder. It can cause itchy skin and makes you feel sick.

Pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers are not suggested to take these medicines. A barrier method of contraception or a low-dose estrogen contraceptive pill may be applicable for sexually active women when taking ursodeoxycholic acid tablets. These medicines can be prescribed for weight loss surgery, which provides protection from gallstones.