What are the symptoms of gallstones?
When gallstones are initially formed, they are often adherent to the gall bladder wall and are usually asymptomatic and do not pose a health risk.
When the gallstones enlarge, they tend to dislodge from the gall bladder wall and may then cause symptoms. Among those with symptoms, some are recurrent and chronic, while others are acute and severe.
The type of symptoms depend on the complications that occur from the gallstones.
- Biliary colics – moderate to severe, colicky pain in upper middle & right abdomen, which may go to back or shoulder tip
- Fatty food dyspepsia – feeling of indigestion, belching, bloating, flatulence, ‘acidity’, especially after eating oily foods
- Acute cholecystitis – acute inflammation of the gall bladder, presenting with a more severe continuous pain in the upper middle & right abdomen which may be accompanied by fever
- Liver duct stone – due to ‘dropping’ of gallstones from the gall bladder into the liver duct (bile duct) causing yellowing of eyes and skin (jaundice), tea coloured urine and pain in the upper abdomen
- Inflammation of pancreas (pancreatitis) – due to obstruction of the pancreas duct as the ‘dropped stone’ passes down the liver duct causing severe upper abdominal pain
- Obstruction of liver duct – larger stones may impinge upon the liver duct causing obstruction and give rise to yellowing of eyes and skin (jaundice) and tea coloured urine
- Gall bladder cancer – large gallstones are associated with development of gall bladder cancers. This unfortunately may not have obvious symptoms till late stages.
How are gallstones formed?
Gallstones are formed in the gall bladder or bile duct. When bile in there hardens.
Risk factors for developing gallstones
- Obesity or being overweight
- Rapid weight loss
- Being sedentary
- Use of contraceptives
- A high-cholesterol, high-fat or low-fibre diet
- Alcohol
- Some blood destruction disorders, ทางเข้า UFABET สำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ สมัครวันนี้ รับโบนัสฟรี such as sickle cell anaemia and leukemia may lead to an increased risk of developing gallstones.
- A family history or gallstones
- Being female
- Pregnancy
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Having liver disease
How are gallstones diagnose?
The most common and accurate way to diagnose gallstones is through an abdominal ultrasound which will show the stones in the gall bladder. It may also show other signs for gallstones that have turned complicated.
Abdominal ultrasound
This test involves placing an ultrasound probe over the upper abdome. That will transmit and receive reflected ultrasound waves, from. Which images of the abdominal organs will create. Abdominal ultrasound is one of the most used diagnostic tests to look for signs of gallstones.
Other imaging tests
Other imaging tests that may be used to detect gallstones include oral cholecystography, hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan, computerised tomography (CT), magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).