What are the symptoms and stages of Gallstones?

1. What are the symptoms and stages of Gallstones? Gallstones or Gall Bladder stones are hard deposits present in your gall balder which are mainly made up of cholesterol, salt, or bilirubin, that are discarded red blood cells. These stones move stealthily inside the gall bladders. The gall bladder is a small organ that functions as the storage place for bile (a digestive fluid) that is made in the liver. These stones also vary in size as in some cases, they are as small as grains or sometimes they are large as the size of a plum. In 80 percent of the cases, these gallstones cause no pain which is why they are known as ‘silent’ gallstones Such stones are diagnosed through X-rays or any surgery in the abdomen. In some cases the symptoms do appear which mainly includes pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen that also radiates towards the back or right shoulder or even shoulder blade. The other symptoms include: Fever The appearance of a yellowish tint in your skin or eyes, that also indicates jaundice Vomiting or Nausea Clay-colored stools Stages of Gallbladder Disease The cases of extreme pain because of gallstones are referred as a “gallbladder attack” and in such cases the patients go through excruciating pain for almost one to two hours. The main reason behind the pain is blockage in the movement of bile from the gall bladder which usually doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, there are three stages leading to the attack. First stage

2. It is usually the painless stage and the gallstones form in the gallbladder. Second Stage At this stage the patient may experience pain at some particular time, which can be felt at the time of intake of high fat foods. The pain may not last longer. The other symptoms of this stage include burping, nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain and indigestion Third stage This is the stage when a gallbladder attack occurs because of the blockage of the duct from where the bile moves from the gallbladder by the gallstone. The third stage is referred as the stage of medical emergency. The patients have to face issues like extreme stomach pain, fever, back pain, chills or even loss of appétit. Source: https://www.parashospitals.com/centres-of-excellence/general-and-laparoscopic- surgery/