Know About Gallstones Causes and Types

May 29th, 2009



Gallstones are stones that form in the gall (bile). Bile is a watery liquid made by the cells of the liver that is important for digesting food in the intestine, particularly fat. Liver cells secrete the bile they make into small canals within the liver. The bile flows through the canals and into larger collecting ducts within the liver (the intrahepatic bile ducts).

Most gallstones are silent. If silent gallstones are discovered in an individual at age 65 (or older), the chance of developing symptoms from the gallstones is only 20% (or less) assuming a life span of 75 years. In this instance, it is reasonable not to treat the individual. Among younger individuals, no treatment also might be appropriate if the individuals have serious, life-threatening diseases, for example, serious heart disease, that are likely to shorten their life span.

The normal function of the gallbladder is to store bile produced by the liver, and to aid in the digestion and absorption of fats in the duodenum (the first portion of the small intestine). Gallstones compose a solid formation of cholesterol and bile salts. However, research shows that approximately 80 to 90 percent of all gallstones are cholesterol gallstones which form when the liver begins secreting bile that is abnormally saturated with cholesterol. The excess cholesterol crystallizes and then forms stones which are stored in the gallbladder or the cystic duct.

The two types of gallstones are cholesterol stones and pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are usually yellow-green and are made primarily of hardened cholesterol. They account for about 80 percent of gallstones. Pigment stones are small, dark stones made of bilirubin. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder can develop just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or a combination of the two.

Gallstones and kidney stones often occur together. When either kind of stone exists, the liver, kidneys and the whole system cannot work efficiently.  Because the kidneys and gallbladder are very close to each other, the stagnation of one organ often causes the other organ to become sluggish too.  This is why kidney stones and gallstones usually occur together as both types of stones are the result of stagnation.  In order to reduce the chance of having stone accumulation and stagnation again, it is better to cleanse both kidney stones and gallstones.

The cause of gallstones varies. Some stones form when there is too much cholesterol or bilirubin in the bile. (Bile is a liquid that helps the body digest fats.) Other stones form if there are not enough bile salts or if the gallbladder fails to empty properly. One type of gallstones, called pigment stones, tend to occur in people who have medical conditions that cause the liver to make too much bilirubin. Pigment stones are also more common in persons with liver cirrhosis and biliary tract infections.

Cholesterol is the primary element of most gallstones, but gallstones can also form from calcium salts and bile pigments. Cholesterol is a normal component of bile, and usually remains dissolved. However, when the bile becomes oversaturated with cholesterol, small crystals form. These crystals are trapped in mucus within the gallbladder, and gradually grow. Gallstones can be as small as grains of sand or as large as golf balls.



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