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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; Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the center of your abdomen, just below your breastbone
Most people with gallstones that don't cause symptoms will never need treatment. Your doctor will determine if treatment for gallstones is indicated based on your symptoms and the results of diagnostic testing. Your doctor may recommend that you be alert for symptoms of gallstone complications, such as intensifying pain in your upper right abdomen.
Gallstones. Most often, cholecystitis is the result of hard particles of bile that can form in the gallbladder, called gallstones. Gallstones can block the tube that carries bile when it leaves the gallbladder. The tube is called the cystic duct. Bile builds up in the gallbladder, causing swelling and irritation. Tumor.
Pancreatitis caused by gallstones. Gallstones are a common cause of pancreatitis. Gallstones, produced in the gallbladder, can slip out of the gallbladder and block the bile duct, stopping pancreatic enzymes from traveling to the small intestine and forcing them back into the pancreas.
Symptoms. Gallbladder cancer may have no symptoms. When there are signs and symptoms, they may include: Belly pain, mostly in the upper right part of the belly. Belly bloating. A mass you can feel through the skin. Losing weight without trying. Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, called jaundice.
If gallstones have moved into the bile duct, a flexible viewing tube (endoscope) can be passed through your mouth and into your small intestine. This allows your doctor to locate the stones and then remove them using small surgical instruments passed through the tube. If your gallstones aren't causing any symptoms, you do not need treatment.
Gallstones and bile duct stones. If bile cannot flow through the bile ducts, it may harden into stones in the ducts. These stones can cause pain and infection. Liver cancer. Liver scarring increases your risk of liver cancer. If you have liver scarring, you'll need regular cancer screening. Weak bones, called osteoporosis.
Bile reflux into the stomach. Bile and food mix in the duodenum and enter your small intestine. The pyloric valve, a heavy ring of muscle located at the outlet of your stomach, usually opens only slightly — enough to release about an eighth of an ounce (about 3.75 milliliters) or less of liquefied food at a time, but not enough to allow digestive juices to reflux into the stomach.
Gallstones that cause no symptoms typically require no treatment. If you have gallstones that require treatment, discuss proven treatment options with your doctor, such as surgical removal, bile salt tablets or sound wave therapy.
Gallstones are hard pieces of material that can form in your gallbladder. Learn about causes and treatment for this sometimes painful digestive disorder. This content does not have an English version.