What is gallstones?

Gallstones are small rocks that originate from cholesterol, and are formed in the human bile duct. In most cases, gallstones will not cause any symptoms. However, sometimes this stone will clog the end of the bile so that it will trigger sudden pain that is quite severe. This pain is called colic pain, and can last for a matter of hours.

The size of gallstones varies. Some are as small as grains of sand and some are as big as pingpong balls. The number of stones that form in the gallbladder also varies, for example there are people who only have one stone and there are more.

Causes of Gallstones

Gallstones are thought to be formed due to hardening of cholesterol which is buried in bile. This happens because of an imbalance between the amount of cholesterol and chemical compounds in the liquid.

The following are factors that can increase your risk of developing gallstones:

• Age factor. The risk of kidney stone disease will increase with age. This disease is generally experienced by people over the age of 40 years.
• Gender. The risk of women getting gallstones is higher than men.
• Impact of childbirth. Women who have given birth have a higher risk. The reason may be due to increased cholesterol levels due to changes in the hormone estrogen during pregnancy.
• Effect of weight. Your risk will increase if you are overweight, obesity, and drastic weight loss.

Treatment Steps for Overcoming Gallstones

The presence of gallstones often will not cause symptoms, so it does not require special treatment. But if it causes disturbing symptoms or if complications occur, this disease must be treated.

Gallstones can be treated with medication until the gallbladder removal surgery. Although this organ function is important, our body can still survive without it. Without the gallbladder, the liver will still secrete bile which helps in fat digestion.

The commonly recommended type of surgery is 'keyhole' surgery or the medical term for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This type of surgery is recommended because of its simple method with a low risk of complications.

Complications due to gallstones

Although very rare, gallstones can cause complications in the body. One of them is inflammation of the gallbladder (kolelitiasis) with symptoms such as:

• Continuous abdominal pain.
• High fever.
• Jaundice.
• Heartbeat beats fast.

Acute pancreatitis is also a dangerous risk if gallstones enter and block the pancreatic duct. This inflammation of the pancreas will cause stomach pain that will continue to get worse.

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