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What Are Gallstones?: Lemuel Jay A. Segovia Grade 8-Peace Science Q4M1

Gallstones are solid masses that can form in the gallbladder. They are usually made up of cholesterol or bilirubin. Gallstones may cause no symptoms, but can also cause pain in the upper abdomen or back when they block bile ducts. Risk factors include being overweight, female, older than 40, or having a family history of gallstones. Complications can include inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas. Prevention methods involve maintaining a healthy weight and diet low in fat and high in fiber.

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Zarah Joyce Segovia
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81 views4 pages

What Are Gallstones?: Lemuel Jay A. Segovia Grade 8-Peace Science Q4M1

Gallstones are solid masses that can form in the gallbladder. They are usually made up of cholesterol or bilirubin. Gallstones may cause no symptoms, but can also cause pain in the upper abdomen or back when they block bile ducts. Risk factors include being overweight, female, older than 40, or having a family history of gallstones. Complications can include inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas. Prevention methods involve maintaining a healthy weight and diet low in fat and high in fiber.

Uploaded by

Zarah Joyce Segovia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lemuel Jay A.

Segovia
Grade 8- Peace Science Q4M1

What Are Gallstones?

Gallstones are pieces of solid material that form in your gallbladder, a small organ under
your liver. If you have them, you might hear your doctor say you have cholelithiasis.
Your gallbladder stores and releases bile, a fluid made in your liver, to help in digestion.
Bile also carries wastes like cholesterol and bilirubin, which your body makes when it breaks
down red blood cells. These things can form gallstones.
Gallstones can range from the size of a grain of sand to that of a golf ball. You might not
know that you have them until they block a bile duct, causing pain that needs treatment right
away.

Gallstone Types
The two main kinds of gallstones are:

 Cholesterol stones. These are usually yellow-


green. They're the most common, making up
80% of gallstones.
 Pigment stones. These are smaller and darker.
They're made of bilirubin..

Symptoms

Gallstones may cause no signs or symptoms. If a gallstone lodges in a duct and causes a
blockage, the resulting signs and symptoms may include:

 Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen
Lemuel Jay A. Segovia
Grade 8- Peace Science Q4M1

 Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the center of your abdomen, just below your
breastbone

 Back pain between your shoulder blades

 Pain in your right shoulder

 Nausea or vomiting

Gallstone pain may last several minutes to a few


hours.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have


any signs or symptoms that worry you.

Seek immediate care if you develop signs and symptoms of a serious gallstone complication,
such as:

 Abdominal pain so intense that you can't sit still or find a comfortable position

 Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

 High fever with chills

Causes

It's not clear what causes gallstones to form. Doctors think gallstones may result when:

 Your bile contains too much cholesterol. Normally, your bile contains enough
chemicals to dissolve the cholesterol excreted by your liver. But if your liver excretes more
cholesterol than your bile can dissolve, the excess cholesterol may form into crystals and
eventually into stones.

 Your bile contains too much bilirubin. Bilirubin is a chemical that's produced when
your body breaks down red blood cells. Certain conditions cause your liver to make too
much bilirubin, including liver cirrhosis, biliary tract infections and certain blood disorders.
The excess bilirubin contributes to gallstone formation.
Lemuel Jay A. Segovia
Grade 8- Peace Science Q4M1

 Your gallbladder doesn't empty correctly. If your gallbladder doesn't empty


completely or often enough, bile may become very concentrated, contributing to the
formation of gallstones.

Risk factors

Factors that may increase your risk of gallstones include:

 Being female

 Being age 40 or older

 Being a Native American

 Being a Hispanic of Mexican origin

 Being overweight or obese

 Being sedentary

 Being pregnant

 Eating a high-fat diet

 Eating a high-cholesterol diet

 Eating a low-fiber diet

 Having a family history of gallstones

 Having diabetes

 Having certain blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia or leukemia

 Losing weight very quickly

 Taking medications that contain estrogen, such as oral contraceptives or hormone therapy
drugs

 Having liver disease

Complications

Complications of gallstones may include:


Lemuel Jay A. Segovia
Grade 8- Peace Science Q4M1

 Inflammation of the gallbladder. A gallstone that becomes lodged in the neck of the
gallbladder can cause inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis). Cholecystitis can
cause severe pain and fever.

 Blockage of the common bile duct. Gallstones can block the tubes (ducts) through
which bile flows from your gallbladder or liver to your small intestine. Severe pain,
jaundice and bile duct infection can result.

 Blockage of the pancreatic duct. The pancreatic duct is a tube that runs from the
pancreas and connects to the common bile duct just before entering the duodenum.
Pancreatic juices, which aid in digestion, flow through the pancreatic duct.

A gallstone can cause a blockage in the pancreatic duct, which can lead to inflammation of
the pancreas (pancreatitis). Pancreatitis causes intense, constant abdominal pain and usually
requires hospitalization.

 Gallbladder cancer. People with a history of gallstones have an increased risk of


gallbladder cancer. But gallbladder cancer is very rare, so even though the risk of cancer is
elevated, the likelihood of gallbladder cancer is still very small.

Prevention

You can reduce your risk of gallstones if you:

 Don't skip meals. Try to stick to your usual mealtimes each day. Skipping meals or
fasting can increase the risk of gallstones.

 Lose weight slowly. If you need to lose weight, go slow. Rapid weight loss can increase
the risk of gallstones. Aim to lose 1 or 2 pounds (about 0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week.

 Eat more high-fiber foods. Include more fiber-rich foods in your diet, such as fruits,
vegetables and whole grains.

 Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity and being overweight increase the risk of


gallstones. Work to achieve a healthy weight by reducing the number of calories you eat
and increasing the amount of physical activity you get. Once you achieve a healthy weight,
work to maintain that weight by continuing your healthy diet and continuing to exercise.

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