What to do for Gallstones ?
- Gallstones are hard particles that develop in the gallbladder.  - Imbalances in the substances that make up bile cause gallstones. Gallstones may form if bile contains too much cholesterol, too much bilirubin, or not enough bile salts. Scientists do not fully understand why these imbalances occur.   - Women, people over age 40, people with a family history of gallstones, American Indians, and Mexican Americans have a higher risk of developing gallstones.   - Many people with gallstones do not have symptoms. Gallstones that do not cause symptoms are called asymptomatic, or silent, gallstones.  - If gallstones block the bile ducts, pressure increases in the gallbladder, causing a gallbladder attack.  - Gallbladder attacks often follow heavy meals, and they usually occur in the evening or during the night.  - Gallstone symptoms may be similar to those of other conditions.   - If gallstones are not causing symptoms, treatment is usually not needed. However, if a person has a gallbladder attack or other symptoms, a health care provider will usually recommend treatment.   - The usual treatment for gallstones is surgery to remove the gallbladder. If a person cannot undergo surgery, nonsurgical treatments may be used to dissolve cholesterol gallstones. A health care provider may use endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to remove stones in people who cannot undergo surgery or to remove stones from the common bile duct in people who are about to have gallbladder removal surgery.   - The gallbladder is not an essential organ, which means a person can live normally without a gallbladder. Once the gallbladder is removed, bile  flows out of the liver through the hepatic and common bile ducts and directly into the duodenum, instead of being stored in the gallbladder.