Question 1

what are gallstones?

Accepted Answer

Gallstones: Gallstones are made of various crystal that grow into stones in the gallbladder. They can be from bile (bilirubin) or cholesterol origin. They grow in the gallbladder, may be present without any symptoms, or may cause upper abdominal pressure, bloating, discomfort, nausea, or vomiting. Often eating fatty foods may aggravate the discomfort from gallstones.

Question 2

what are gallstones composed of?

Accepted Answer

Cholesterol, pigment: Gallstones contain variable amounts of bile pigments, cholesterol, calcium salts, and their core usually consists of bile pigments or mucoprotein, which is secreted by the inner lining of the gallbladder. the composition of gallstones is affected by age, diet and ethnicity. On the basis of their composition, gallstones can be divided into cholesterol stones, pigment stones, and mixed stones.

Question 3

what are gallstones and what are the symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Gallstones are: Precipitants that form when the bile is supersaturated.  It can form from any combination of cholesterol, bilirubinate, lecithin, and bile salts.  It can cause biliary colic or acute cholecystitis.  Classic symptoms are right upper quadrant postprandial pain with radiation to tip of scapula.  But they can cause other symptoms too, so check with your doctor, he'll get tests to find out for sure.

Question 4

could you tell me what are gallstones and how is that different from acid reflux?

Accepted Answer

Stones vs GERD: Gallstones are hard materia made of bile from gallbladder.  They live in gallbladder until they are squeezed into the small intestine.  Sometimes that squeezing hurts and blocks up.  Acid reflux is stomach contents mixed with stomach acid go into esophagus.  This has very little do do with the gallbladder except that both issues cause pain after eating sometimes and can be confused.

Question 5

what are the symptoms of gallstones?

Accepted Answer

Right upper abd pain: People with gallstones have symptoms typically because they block the function of the gallbladder which is to store and release bile due to a fatty meal.  Therefore , symptoms of pain, cramping, nausea and sometimes vomiting occur after eating fatty foods.  Diarrhea or fatty stools may also occur.

Question 6

what are the non shadowing gallstones?

Accepted Answer

The ghost type: When gallstones are not heavily calcified, they are tough to see on x rays.

Question 7

what are signs/symptoms of gallstones?

Accepted Answer

May be none: Gallstones may be present for years and never cause symptoms. The gall bladder is a storage compartment for bile. The gall bladder is signaled to contract after a fat containing meal to aid digestion. If a gall stone is caught in the duct system leading to the bowel, it can become lodged in the duct and cause pain under the right rib cage in the abdomen. Ask your doctor if this fits your complaint.

Question 8

what are common complications of gallstones?

Accepted Answer

Many: Most often it is recurrent pain esp after fatty foods. Others include acute cholesystitis (stone lodged in cystic duct), pancreatitis ( stone lodged in common bile duct blocking the pancreatic duct), turning yellow, infection in bile duct ( can be life threatening) etch. Having said that, most people do not have any symptoms even if they have gallstones!

Question 9

please explain what are some symptoms of gallstones?

Accepted Answer

Gallstones: There are many causes for gallstones some are even congenital 
you should schedule an appt with your pcp or GI md to help with the cause for your symptoms which can be RUQ belly or right sided back pain, nausea , vomiting, and even atypical chest pain or jaundice.

Question 10

what are the symptoms of gallstones and what causes them?

Accepted Answer

RUQ  pains : Starts as right upper quadrant , back, and shoulder  pains, fatty food intolerance and some times fever and jaundice, as complications sets in. Several reasons to form gall stones, from infections , change in bile composition, altered ration of bile salts, cholesterol , fats ( lecithin ) and in some hereditary, what ever the reason lap.Chle. Is best option , invariably it will lead to complications.

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