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Symptoms of gallstones

Gallstones often have no symptoms.

But if a gallstone becomes trapped in an opening (duct) inside the gallbladder, it can trigger a sudden, intense pain in your tummy that usually lasts between 1 and 5 hours.

This type of abdominal pain is known as biliary colic.

Some people with gallstones can also develop complications, such as inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis).

This can cause:

• persistent pain
• yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• a high temperature

When gallstones cause symptoms or complications, it's known as gallstone disease or cholelithiasis.

The gallbladder

The gallbladder is a small pouch-like organ found underneath the liver. Its main purpose is to store and concentrate bile.

Bile is a liquid produced by the liver to help digest fats. It's passed from the liver into the gallbladder through a series of channels known as bile ducts.

The bile is stored in the gallbladder and, over time, becomes more concentrated, which makes it better at digesting fats.

The gallbladder releases bile into the digestive system when it's needed.