Gallstones are the digestive fluids that form into hardened deposits in the gallbladder. This pear-shaped organ is located beneath your liver, on the abdomen’s right side. Its primary function is the storage of bile. Usually, the condition is caused when the bile produced has excessive bilirubin or cholesterol, insufficient bile salts, or the gallbladder fails to empty for one reason or another. At first, it doesn’t present any noticeable symptoms. However, attacks begin to happen when the gallstones increase in size or start obstructing your bile ducts.
These attacks tend to occur after fatty meals and during the evening. In some cases, symptoms don’t present at all. These are silent stones that disrupt the gallbladder, pancreas, or liver from functioning. Thus, they generally don’t require any treatment. Often, discovering asymptomatic gallstones is accidental, such as testing for other diagnoses. However, healthcare providers may conduct a physical examination, medical history, and procedures like an ultrasound or cholecystography in case of persisting pain.
Gallstone symptoms can vary depending on the severity of the condition. And this article will cover the attacks that those with gallstones may experience.
Biliary Colic
The abdominal pain due to the obstruction of gallstones in the biliary tree’s bile duct is known as biliary colic. It’s a common symptom that usually occurs after consuming a sizable, fatty meal, causing the gallbladder’s contraction and bile’s release into your duodenum to help indigestion through fat emulsification. The discomfort isn’t colicky but constant. The treatment for the disease is mainly surgical. It frequently involves the gallbladder’s removal via a laparoscopic technique called a cholecystectomy.
Hospital admissions are typically not required for this condition. However, without the organ’s removal, there’s a chance that episodes may happen again in a few years. Laparoscopic surgeries are usually the preferred treatment option because recovery is quick, and patients can carry on their daily activities in a few days. However, there are cases wherein surgery may be impossible. In these situations, therapy or medication may be used to lessen the impact of its symptoms and keep them manageable. Lithotripsy is another method for treating gallstones.
Typically, moving the gallstones should alleviate biliary colic. However, if the obstruction of the bile duct is left untreated, it may lead to other potentially serious problems. For this reason, you mustn’t take gallstones for granted.