Under the liver, there is an organ on the right side of the abdomen, which is known as the gallbladder. The primary function of the gallbladder is to store and dispense the fluid produced by the liver, which is known as bile. Sometimes, several stone-like objects form in the gallbladder and these are commonly known as gallstones. The size of the gallstones varies in different individuals and it can be small or big. The treatment of the gallstones will also depend on the symptoms of the person.

Causes
The exact cause of gallstones is not known till date, but according to different theories, there are several factors that may cause gallstones in the body and these factors are given below:

• If your liver produces more cholesterol in comparison to the cholesterol your bile can dissolve, then gallstones can be formed due to the excessive cholesterol in your bile.
• There is a chemical which is produced during the process of destruction of red blood cells by your liver and this chemical is known as bilirubin. When there is an excess of bilirubin in your gallbladder, there is a formation of gallstones.
• The vacating of bile is a natural and necessary procedure of the body. But when this doesn’t happen, gallstones will be formed due to an over-concentration of the bile.

Symptoms
Mostly, the presence of gallstones shows no signs or symptoms in the body. When gallstones lodge in a duct and blockage is caused due to it, it will cause some symptoms such as:

• You may experience sudden and extreme pain in the right part of the abdomen on the upper side.
• You may also experience a sudden and intense pain under your breastbone in the center of the abdomen.
• There are also signs of back pain between the shoulder blades.
• You may also experience some kind of pain in the right shoulder.
• You may experience vomiting or nausea sometimes.

Treatment
The treatment of gallstones totally depends on the symptoms of the patient. If he or she has very few symptoms of gallstones and if the ultrasonography report shows small gallstones, then they may not need an operation. The doctor will prescribe certain medications which will dissolve the gallstones in a few days. These medications will generally cause mild diarrhea in some people as a result of a side-effect of the medicine.

If you have a large gallstone, then your doctor will suggest you go for an operation. There are two types of surgeries for operating the gallstones from the gallbladder. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most common procedures of surgery. In this procedure, small cuts will be made in the abdomen and your gallbladder will be removed. Another procedure is open cholecystectomy in which the surgeon can make a bigger cut in your abdomen and remove the gallbladder.

This is the complete description of gallstones, its symptoms, its causes, and its treatment.