Signs you have gallbladder stones

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Gallstones are small, hard deposits which form in your gallbladder. These can range from the size of a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Women are more likely to develop gallstones. Many people having these stones have no symptoms, often called ‘asymptomatic’ or ‘silent stones’. But for people having symptoms, surgery to remove the gallbladder is the recommended treatment.

Here's what to look out for to find out that you have gallstones and seek out medical care at FirstCure Health.

Pain

The person will feel pain if a stone gets stuck in a bile duct (hepatic, cystic or common bile duct), causing its blockage resulting in the fluid to accumulate while the liver continues to secrete more bile. This type of pain is called biliary colic and is the primary symptom of gallstone. The pain manifests in the following ways:

Sudden, intense pain located in the upper right which grows rapidly

Intense pain in the centre of the abdomen, below the ribcage

Shoulder pain on the right side

Pain in the back, between the shoulder blades)

In case of cystic duct obstruction, gallbladder wall secretes the accumulating bile into the gall bladder. The resulting distension of the bile ducts and the gall bladder causes pain which takes about an hour to reach the highest level of intensity and may take up to several hours to subside. The pain may feel like an ache or a sharp, knifelike stab.

Pain in other parts of the body

Besides abdominal pain, another symptom of gallstones is pain in other parts of the body for example:

In between your shoulder blades

Just under your breastbone

In your right shoulder

In your chest

The pain will not subside unless the gallbladder is removed and it won’t be relieved by using the toilet, passing gas or vomiting.

Other symptoms

In addition to pain, you may experience several other symptoms of a gallbladder attack, these include the following:

Jaundice:

Jaundice is a symptom of liver trouble which manifests as yellow eyes and skin, along with dark urine and pale light chalk-colored loose stools. This results from inadequate bile in the gastrointestinal tract.

Digestive discomfort:

Digestive troubles like diarrhea or increased bowel movements, heartburn, belching, gas, burps, indigestion or constipation are indications that food is not being digested properly.

Increased intolerance of fat-rich foods:

A person with gallstones will find it difficult to eat fatty foods as this result in nausea and vomiting.

Stomach flu or food poisoning or gallstone:

Gall stone symptoms can be confused with stomach flu or mild food poisoning. If you are suffering from queasiness, chronic fatigue, nausea and vomiting, it could be a gallstone.

Consult a doctor

Consult the doctor at FirstCure Health for immediate help, if you are experiencing:

Intense, unbearable abdominal pain which lasts longer than 5 hours

Sweating

Fever accompanied with chills

Yellow skin and eyes

Persistent nausea and vomiting

Clay-colored stools