Gallstones are a common problem in the community but thankfully, only a minority of patients with them will ever become symptomatic. Abdominal pain related to these stones is a cardinal complaint and this can be quite disabling if not managed appropriately. When becoming symptomatic of gallstones, it is important to realise that this may just be the tip of the iceberg to some extent; meaning that simple pain (often induced by eating heavy/fatty foods) may only be the initial manifestation of the problem.
If the process progresses, inflammation of the gallbladder (ie. cholecystitis) may occur. This can make you relatively unwell and typically requires admission to hospital to be managed appropriately. Beyond this, gallstones can escape out of the confines of the gallbladder and fall into the bile duct. If they lodge in the bile duct and become stuck, the flow of bile may become obstructed. This in itself can result in a yellowish tinge in the appearance of the eyes and/or skin and also predisposes to infection in the bile duct (ie. cholangitis). This can also be a dangerous problem and requires admission to hospital for treatment. As if this wasn’t enough, gallstones can also irritate the pancreas, causing pancreatitis which can also make you very ill.
