Gallstones are small crystals that form in the gallbladder. They are usually made of cholesterol - a type of fat found in your blood.
In most cases, gallstones do not cause any symptoms and do not need to be treated.
Some people with gallstones can also develop complications. For example, inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), or biliary colic. This is when the stones move in the gallbladder and cause pain.
When gallstones cause symptoms or complications, it's known as gallstone disease or cholelithiasis.
The gallbladder
The gallbladder is a small bag lying underneath your liver. The gallbladder stores bile. It does not make bile.
Bile is made by the liver. It helps the body to digest fat. Bile goes from the liver into the gallbladder through a series of channels (bile ducts).
You can live a normal life without your gallbladder. Your liver will still produce bile to digest food.
Causes of gallstones
Gallstones may be caused by the chemical make-up of the bile in the gallbladder. In most cases, if the level of cholesterol in the bile is too high, the excess cholesterol forms gallstones.
Gallstones are very common. About 1 in 10 adults has gallstones. Most people do not have symptoms and do not know they have gallstones.
You're more at risk of getting gallstones if you have:
- extra weight or obesity
- female - and more common if you've had children
- age 40 or older - the risk increases with age
Treating gallstones
You usually only need treatment if gallstones are causing:
- symptoms - such as abdominal (tummy) pain
- complications - such as jaundice or acute pancreatitis
Your doctor may recommend keyhole surgery to remove the gallbladder. This procedure is known as a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Most cases of gallstone disease are easily treated with surgery.
