Guide To Diagnosing And Treating Gallstones

A gallstone is a lump or stone that forms in the gallbladder or bile duct when specific types of substances calcify or harden. The gallbladder is a small organ that is located on the right side of an individual's abdomen and is positioned just underneath their liver. Gallstones are caused by an imbalance of the chemicals in an individual's gallbladder that include calcium carbonate, cholesterol, and calcium bilirubinate. The reason why these chemicals become imbalanced in some individuals and not in others is not clear. Pigment gallstones and cholesterol gallstones are the two types of stones that cause symptoms in affected individuals. Symptoms of gallstones include pain in the right ribs, pain between the shoulder blades, pain in the right shoulder, nausea, vomiting, restlessness, and sweating.