The job of the gallbladder is to store the bile produced by the
liver and to release it on an as-needed basis for digestive
purposes. However, it isn't easy to keep this complex mixture of
chemicals in liquid form. The various elements of bile have a
natural tendency to form sludge, lumps, and hard deposits called
gallstones. The body uses several biochemical methods to prevent
such condensation from occurring, but this natural chemistry
does not always succeed. More than 20% of women and 8% of men
develop gallstones at some time in their lives. You could have
gallstones in your body for many years without experiencing any
problems. However, sooner or later, a gallstone will likely plug
the duct that leads out of the gallbladder, causing pain.
Generally, gallbladder pain starts in the form of occasional
minor attacks that subside rapidly, separated by weeks without
discomfort. During this phase, the stones block the duct
temporarily and then move out of the way. Eventually, continuous
obstruction may develop,