Medical Questions » Liver and Gall Bladder Questions » Question No. 584
| Question: | I' ve just learnt that my belly pain is caused by gallstones. How do you get gall stones? |
| Answer: | Gallstones form in the gall bladder which is a storage sac for bile. When food enters the gut, the gall bladder contracts and squirts bile onto the food to aid in its digestion. If the bile becomes too concentrated or infected, the bile will crystallise, and these small crystals may slowly grow into stones as big as an egg. Most stones are smaller than a pea though. Twice as many women than men will get gall stones, and they are also more common in fat people. Hereditary factors also increase your chance of developing these annoying stones. |
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