Heartburn
If you experience heartburn and acid reflux, it could be a sign that you have gallstones. Gallstones are formed when the bile in the gallbladder hardens and forms solid masses of crystals in the gallbladder. The pain and burning sensation is felt when these hardened deposits begin to break down and move through the bile ducts.
Excess fats and oils in the diet can cause bile to form in greater-than-normal quantities in the gallbladder. Bile contains cholesterol, a fatty substance that would otherwise build up inside the blood vessels. Instead, it’s excreted in the intestine with other waste products from the liver, where it mixes with water to form a milky fluid called bile. Cholesterol dissolves in this fluid and moves to the colon for elimination.
A blockage can prevent bile from being released into the intestine. When this happens, it stays inside the gallbladder instead of moving on through the system. As a result, the excess cholesterol gradually hardens over time until it causes intense heartburn in the patient.
