What are the symptoms of gallstones?

Gallstones are asymptomatic in 80% of cases.

Most people with gallstones have some symptoms. However, other asymptomatic people who have lived with them for years have felt absolutely nothing. What happens on many occasions is that, when they appear suddenly, they are mistaken for an indigestion problem.

Therefore, in this article we show you what its symptoms are. This way you will have an idea of ​​how to detect it and what measures you should take to treat them and avoid the complications that may arise.

Calculi or stones in the gallbladder: what they are and how they manifest

Gallstones are deposits formed by the crystallization of bile; a substance secreted by the liver for the digestion of fats. Bile accumulates in the gallbladder and is secreted into the small intestine when necessary, in the process of digestion.

Sometimes the stones can block the tubes through which bile is excreted into the intestine. Other times they also block the gallbladder, which becomes inflamed, leading to cholecystitis. This situation is usually quite painful.

They can occur especially due to an excess in the levels of cholesterol or bilirubin in the bile, these are the most common causes.

The gallbladder is an organ located in the upper right area of ​​the abdomen that is attached to the liver and that serves as a reservoir for bile, the fluid produced by the liver that is transported through the bile ducts to the intestine after meals, allowing thus the digestion of food. One pathology associated with this organ are the so-called gallbladder stones.

What are your symptoms?

As professionals explain, the usual symptoms are:

  • Severe pain in the right side of the chest
  • Fairly severe abdominal pain (biliary colic)
  • Repeated and profuse vomiting
  • Excess gas
  • Belching and reflux
  • Pain when inhaling
  • High fevers and sweating
  • Clay colored stools
  • If you present any of these symptoms with any frequency and with increasing intensity, you may be suffering from gallstones. For this reason, you should see your doctor immediately before suffering any complications.

It is important that you take into account …

  • Prevention is better than cure, and in this case even more so, since with this condition an emergency can occur at any time. When the capacity of the gallbladder does not give for more, colic can occur so terrible that it is necessary to undergo surgery immediately. 
  • It is also very likely that this organ is so full that it is in danger of bursting or strangling. This is a very dangerous situation in which if the proper treatment is not carried out, the patient’s life will be at risk.

Finally, and if it is no longer a simple suspicion, but that you have already been diagnosed with gallstones, then you have to follow your doctor’s recommendations to the letter. It is important to have a very controlled diet to avoid complicated situations. 

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