What Is Biliary Colic?

By james

Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky

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Aches and pains in the abdomen area are very normal. In most cases, you might look for something to help settle the stomach and the pain should hopefully pass by before too long. This is not always the case, however, and pain in the abdomen area is sometimes down to medical conditions.

Biliary colic is a condition that can be quite uncomfortable but is not usually dangerous. Regardless, it can develop into something serious in some cases so you should arrange to get it checked out as soon as you can. The condition can also be treated with relatively straight forward surgery in most cases.

1. Gallstones

The gallbladder is a sac that is used to store bile, bilirubin, and some other substances. These are fluids that help us to break down the food that we eat; fats in particular. These fluids can sometimes begin to crystalize and form into small lumps of solid material. These materials are known as gallstones.

Gallstones are usually very small and will usually not cause a problem. They will sometimes continue to grow, however, and these can be a problem for the patient as they can block the bile duct. Some patients will grow lots of smaller stones instead, and this can also cause problems for them.