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Wellness
AT THIS VERY moment, your body could be
hiding a potentially painful surprise.
Gallstones—clusters of solid material that
form in the gallbladder—occur in up to
20 percent of U.S. women by age 60, according
to the American College of Gastroenterology.
In comparison to men, women are twice
as likely to develop gallstones. Many risk
factors for gallstones are specific to women.
Your risk is greater, for example, if you are
overweight, have had multiple pregnancies or
Gallstones
The female
risk
factor
take birth control pills.
Gallstones are also more likely to develop
if you have diabetes. People who have diabetes
generally have high levels of triglycerides, a
form of fat in the blood that may increase the
risk of gallstones. While gradual weight loss
may lower the risk of gallstones, losing too
much weight too quickly can actually increase
your risk. Gallstones are common among
people who undergo bariatric surgery to lose
weight.
In comparison to men,
women are twice as likely
to develop gallstones.
The story of stones
Gallstones form when liquid stored in your
gallbladder—a small pouch that stores
bile produced by the liver and aids in fat
digestion—hardens into pieces of stonelike
material. Many people have gallstones but
don’t have symptoms. With these silent stones,
you may never need treatment.
“You probably won’t even know they’re
there, and you might just think you’re
experiencing heartburn or indigestion,”
says Jessica Folek, MD, a surgeon with the
Oregon Bariatric Center at Sacred Heart
Medical Center at RiverBend. “But if the
gallstone blocks the flow of bile between your
gallbladder and small intestine, that can cause
extreme discomfort.”
Symptoms can include sudden, severe pain
in the upper right part of your belly, under your
right shoulder or in your chest.
What you can do
If you have frequent gallbladder attacks, your
doctor may recommend surgery to remove
your gallbladder—a procedure that should
bring relief, and generally carries a low rate of
complications and side effects, Dr. Folek says.
One alternative to surgery is medicine
to dissolve the stones, though the stones
can return when the medication is stopped.
Another option for patients who cannot
undergo surgery is sound wave therapy to break
up gallstones. Less than 15 percent of patients
with gallstones are appropriate candidates for
this treatment, and it is no longer as widely
used.
Scan this QR code to learn
more about gallstones, or
join us for a free seminar
from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on
Thursday, Oct. 25. To
register for the seminar,
visit
www.peacehealth.org/gastrooregon
or
call
541-222-3209
.
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Health Connection