Are gallstones dangerous, doctor?

“Hello doctor, I am 56 years old and suffering from type 2 diabetes. Recently I have symptoms of pain in the right side of the chest where the gallbladder is located and the urine is very thick yellow. After going to the doctor, I was diagnosed with gallstones. So are gallstones dangerous? Thank you doctor.” - Kim Oanh, Khanh Hoa.
Your question Kim Oanh was forwarded to General Internal Medicine - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Before answering the question of whether gallstones are dangerous, the doctor will give the patient detailed information about the disease. Gallstones are deposits of bile in and out of the liver, located in the gallbladder and under the liver. If the stone is only in the gallbladder, it is considered benign and does not cause painful symptoms. Conversely, if the stones move in the lining of the gallbladder, they will block the bile ducts, causing dangerous stagnation of bile.

Women have a higher incidence of gallstones than men. People with diabetes, obesity, pregnant women have a higher risk of gallstones than the general population.

Symptoms of gallstones vary from person to person. Different locations of stones in the gallbladder can also lead to different manifestations. However, the doctor confirmed that the symptoms of gallstone disease are quite dangerous. Patients should note the following 4 symptoms.
Abdominal pain in the right epigastrium or flank: The pain appears after you eat a lot of greasy food. The pain can be severe or dull depending on the location of the gallstone. Jaundice: stagnation of bile creates stones and secretes a lot of yellow pigment into the blood, causing the patient to have jaundice, yellow eyes. Digestive disorders: The patient feels nauseated and vomiting a lot, has slow digestion, bloating, anorexia, bored with fatty foods. Symptoms are similar to stomach diseases, so patients need to see a doctor to determine the name of the disease. High fever to 38-39 degrees accompanied by abdominal pain, profuse sweating. There are also people who have a mild fever but it lasts a long time.

If this disease is not treated in time, gallstones will cause you to experience prolonged pain and lead to a series of dangerous health complications, affecting the function of the gallbladder. The unpredictable complications of gallstone disease that you need to watch out for are:
Inflammation of the biliary tree
When a patient has common bile duct stones, gallstones can become infected with the biliary tract, creating internal abscesses. liver. This condition will lead to pyelonephritis, which is extremely dangerous for the function of the liver and biliary tract. The disease usually appears in people over 50 years old and has had cirrhosis, kidney failure, liver abscess before.
Acute cholecystitis
The most dangerous complication of gallstone disease is here. When bile accumulates and becomes blocked, the gallbladder becomes infected with secondary bacteria and worms into the gallbladder, causing necrosis, leakage of bile, and even death.
Acute pancreatitis
Gallstones not only obstruct the flow of bile, but also prevent pancreatic juice from entering the digestive tract. Therefore, patients with gallstones can develop acute pancreatitis, causing damage to the pancreas and the risk of diabetes.
Gallstone disease has very unpredictable signs and complications, so it is impossible not to say that this is a dangerous disease for the patient's health. If you find any unusual symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately to treat the disease as soon as possible.
Thus, the specialist has answered the patient's question about whether gallstones are dangerous. In case the patient needs a private examination and consultation, please book an appointment on the website for service.