Quick answer
What is gallstones?
Gallstones are small stones, usually made of cholesterol, that form in the gallbladder. Many cause no symptoms and need no treatment, but if a stone blocks a duct it can cause sudden, severe tummy pain. Troublesome gallstones are usually treated by removing the gallbladder.
What are gallstones?
Gallstones are small, hard stones that form in the gallbladder — a pouch under the liver that stores bile. They are very common, and most never cause any trouble. Problems arise when a stone blocks one of the ducts that carry bile, which can cause significant pain and sometimes infection.
Symptoms
Many gallstones are silent. When they cause symptoms, the typical one is biliary colic:
- sudden, intense pain in the upper right or middle of the tummy
- pain that may spread to the right shoulder blade
- often triggered by fatty food
- sometimes with feeling or being sick
Pain lasting many hours, fever and shivering, or yellowing of the skin and eyes suggest a complication needing urgent care.
What causes them
Most gallstones form when bile contains too much cholesterol, which crystallises into stones. Risk increases with age and is higher in women, during pregnancy, and in people who are overweight or have lost weight quickly.
Treatment
Symptom-free gallstones usually need no treatment. For gallstones causing pain or complications, the usual treatment is keyhole surgery to remove the gallbladder — a common operation with a good recovery, after which people live entirely normally. In the meantime, a low-fat diet can reduce attacks.
When to act
See a GP about recurring upper-tummy pain. Treat long-lasting severe pain, fever, jaundice or persistent vomiting as urgent — these can signal a blocked duct or infection.
Common questions
- What do gallstone symptoms feel like?
- The classic symptom is sudden, intense pain in the upper right or centre of the tummy, sometimes spreading to the shoulder blade, often after a fatty meal. Episodes can last from minutes to hours and may come with nausea.
- What causes gallstones?
- Most form when there is too much cholesterol in bile, which hardens into stones. They are more common with age, in women, during pregnancy, and in people who are overweight or have lost weight rapidly.
- Do gallstones always need treatment?
- No. Stones that cause no symptoms are usually left alone. Treatment — most often keyhole surgery to remove the gallbladder — is offered when stones cause pain or complications.
- Can you live without a gallbladder?
- Yes, perfectly well. The gallbladder stores bile but is not essential; after removal, bile flows directly into the gut. Most people return to a normal diet and life after recovery.