Gallstones

Gallstones are made from cholesterol and other things found in the spleen. They can be smaller than a apple seed or as large as a kiwi.
Many people get diagnosed with gallstones.  They may not even know that they have gallstones because most people have no symptoms.  Gallstones are solid deposits of cholesterol or calcium salts that develop in your gallbladder or bile ducts.  Gallstones usually call for no treatment in most people.
Causes

Gallstones form when cholesterol and other things found in the bile make stones. For people who are unfamilar with the term bile.  Bile is a greenish-brown fluid  made of bile salts, fatty compounds, cholesterol and other chemicals. This fluid is concentrated and stored in your gallbladder until it's needed to help digest fats in your small intestine.  Gallstones also can also develop if the gallbladder, if the gallbadder does not empty as it should.

Symtoms

Most people who have gallstones do not have symptoms.
People who have symtoms will probably experience:
•    Chronic indigestion.
•    Nausea
•    Gas
•    Bloating
•    Possible Abdominal Pain.
•    Vomiting.
•    Gallstones sometimes get trapped in the neck of the gallbladder and can cause persistent pain that lasts several hours and you may experience a Fever also. If you experience this type of constant pain or you have a Fever with the pain, it would be wise to seek medical attention.


•    Sometimes small gallstones escape the gallbladder and enter the duct leading from your liver and gallbladder to your small intestine (common bile duct). They may also occasionally enter the duct leading to your pancreas. Sometimes, a stone may block this duct.  This condition is called, pancreatitis.  Pancreatitis can be fatal if you don't receive medical treatment right away. You'll likely have pain and at times Fever due to inflammation at or near the site of the blockage. Other signs and symptoms of bile duct obstruction include:
•    Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
•    Clay-colored stools
•    Dark urine
•    Fever
•    Chills

These symptoms may also be a sign of an infected gallbladder. Call your doctor right away if you have sudden or bad pain in your stomach or chest and you are unsure what is causing it. Symptoms of gallstones may feel like chest pain caused by a heart attack and other serious problems.  Sometimes, people with gallstones will have a gallbladder attack.
Symtoms of a gallbadder attack:
•    Sudden, steady and moderate to intense pain in your upper middle or upper right abdomen. This may signal that you are having a gallbladder attack. The pain may occur one to two hours after you have eaten.  Gallbladder attacks can still occur at other times.  It could even occur at nighttime. A gallbladder attack can last from 15 to 30 minutes to several hours. Gallbladder pain starts in your upper middle or upper right abdomen and, sometimes, may shift to your back or right shoulder blade. After the pain goes away, you might have a mild aching or soreness in your upper abdomen that can last for up to a day or more. Gallbladder attacks tend to once in away, such as weeks, months or even years apart from each other.
Dianogsis

You may go to the doctor because of pain in your stomach. Your doctor will probably ask you questions such as:
1.    When did the pain start?
2.    If it comes and goes or is the pain always there?
Your doctor may order imaging tests. Imaging tests take pictures of the inside of your body. An ultrasound of the stomach is the best test to find gallstones. This test does not cause pain.
Your ultrasound may not show gallstones. But if your doctor still thinks you have a problem with your gallbladder, he or she may order a gallbladder scan. In this test, your doctor injects dye into a vein in your arm. Then a machine takes X-rays as the dye moves through your liver, bile duct, gallbladder, and intestine.
Many people have gallstones but do not know it because they do not have symptoms. Gallstones are found by accident when you have tests to find the cause of pain in your belly, or when a woman has an ultrasound during pregnancy.

Treatment
If you do not have symptoms, you probably do not need treatment.
If your first gallstone attack causes mild pain, your doctor may tell you to take medicine for pain and wait to see if the pain goes away. You may never have experience another attack.
If you have a bad attack, or if you have a second attack, you may want to have your gallbladder removed. A second attack means you are more likely to have  attacks in the future.
Many people have their gallbladders removed, and the surgery usually goes well. Doctors most often use a procedure called laparoscopic surgery.  The surgeon will make small cuts in your stomach and remove your gallbladder. You will probably be able to go back to normal routine in a week or two, but it may take longer for some people. Sometimes the surgeon will have to make a larger cut to remove the gallbladder. It will take longer for you to recover from this type of surgercal procedure.