Gallstones : Articles
Print
Email
SaveHealthline's Premium Tools
Healthline Part D Plan Selector
Medicare's drug plans are subsidized by the US federal government and offered through insurers.
Advertisement
Marketplace
 |
Gallstones are formed within the gallbladder, an organ that stores bile excreted from the liver. Bile is made up of water, salts, lecithin, cholesterol, and other substances. If the concentration of these components changes, gallstones may form. Gallstones may be as small as a grain of sand, or they may become as large as an inch in diameter, depending on how long they have been forming.
|
 |
Gallstones are solid crystal deposits that form in the gallbladder, a pear-shaped organ that stores bile until it is needed to help digest fatty foods. These crystals can migrate to other parts of the digestive tract, causing severe pain and life-threatening complications.
|
|
Gallstones form in the gallbladder when there is an excessive increase in the concentration of cholesterol in bile. (Bile is a secretion of the liver that aids in fat emulsification.
|
 |
A gallstone is a solid crystal deposit that forms in the gallbladder, which is a pear-shaped organ that stores bile salts until they are needed to help digest fatty foods. Gallstones can migrate to other parts of the digestive tract and cause severe pain with life-threatening complications.
|
 |
 |
Home | About | Health Experts | Careers | Site Map | Feedback | Help | Health Tools | Tell a Friend
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Advertise | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2005 - 2008 Healthline Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.