What is the gallbladder and what are gallstones or gallbladder stones?
The gallbladder is a storage place for digestive (bile) juice. It is tucked below the liver, in the right upper side of the abdomen. When you consume fatty foods, the gallbladder pushes bile juice into the intestine through the bile duct, to aid digestion.
Any changes in the bile juice can result in the formation of small pebble-like stones in the gallbladder, commonly called as gallstones or gallbladder stones.
Gallstones can either be as big as a golf ball or as small as a pebble. Also, there can be one large stone or many small stones or a combination of both.
What are the symptoms of gallstones or gallbladder stones?
Some gallstones remain ‘silent’ and do not cause any symptoms. However, others move and block the bile flow, causing a sudden pain in the upper right abdomen.
This condition, called gallbladder attack or biliary colic, can last for an hour or more and may resolve by itself. However, prolonged blockage of the bile duct can cause serious health issues