Acidity and GERD: Beyond the Antacid Bottle
Reaching for an antacid several times a week is not a solution — it is a symptom. Persistent reflux damages the oesophagus and occasionally hides something more serious.
Read articleGallstones are hardened deposits that form in the gallbladder and can block the flow of bile. Many stones cause no trouble at all, but once they cause pain, infection or jaundice they need treatment rather than observation.
Symptoms
Not everyone gets every symptom, and the pattern can differ in older people, in people with diabetes and in children. These are the ones most often reported.
- Pain in the right upper abdomen, often after a fatty meal
- Pain radiating to the right shoulder blade or back
- Nausea and vomiting during an attack
- Bloating, belching and intolerance of oily food
- Fever with chills when the gallbladder is infected
- Yellow eyes and dark urine if a stone blocks the bile duct
When to see a doctor
Do not wait these out
If any of the following applies, arrange to be seen the same day. For anything sudden or severe, call 9281862028 or come straight to the emergency department at SIMS — it is open 24 hours and does not need an appointment.
- Severe upper abdominal pain lasting more than a few hours
- Pain with fever and chills — attend the same day
- Yellow discolouration of the eyes with pain, dark urine or pale stools
- Repeated attacks of pain, which will continue and worsen without treatment
Tests that may be advised
Your consultant will order only the investigations that change the plan. Most of the following are available on the SIMS campus, so results usually come back the same visit.
- Ultrasound of the abdomen, the primary test
- Liver function tests
- Complete blood count and inflammatory markers
- Serum amylase and lipase if pancreatitis is suspected
- MRCP or CT where bile duct stones are suspected
How it is treated
Treatment is decided case by case — by how advanced the problem is, what else you are being treated for, and what you can realistically sustain. Broadly, it involves the following.
- Observation for silent stones found incidentally in most patients
- Laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder for symptomatic stones, usually a short admission
- Antibiotics and admission for acute infection before planned surgery
- Endoscopic clearance of the bile duct when a stone has moved into it
- Low-fat diet as a temporary measure while awaiting surgery, not as a cure
This page is general information, not a diagnosis
Gallstones can look like several other conditions, and the reverse is equally true. Nothing here can replace an examination, your test results and the judgement of the doctor treating you — and no medicine mentioned by name to a friend or relative should be started on the strength of this page. If you recognise yourself in it, book a consultation with the Surgical Gastroenterology department. If a symptom is sudden or severe, call 9281862028.
