• The gallbladder is a small sac like organ in the upper right part of the abdomen. It is located under the liver, just below the front rib cage on the right side.
• The gallbladder is part of the Biliary system, which includes the liver and the pancreas.
• The Biliary system, among other functions, produces bile and digestive enzymes.

• It contains several different substances, including cholesterol and bilirubin, a waste product of normal breakdown of blood cells in the liver.
• Bile is stored in the gallbladder until needed.
• When we eat a high-fat, high-cholesterol meal, the gallbladder contracts and injects bile into the small intestine via a small tube called the common bile duct. The bile then assists in the digestive process.

• Cholesterol stones
• Pigment stones
• Mixed stones – the most common type. They are comprised of cholesterol and salts.

Causes for gallstones

Scientists believe cholesterol stones form when bile contains too much cholesterol, too much bilirubin, or not enough bile salts, or when the gallbladder does not empty completely or often enough. The reason these imbalances occur is not known.

• Sex. Women are twice as likely as men to develop gallstones. Excess oestrogen from pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, and birth control pills appears to increase cholesterol levels in bile and decrease gallbladder movement, which can lead to gallstones.
• Family history. Gallstones often run in families, pointing to a possible genetic link.
• Weight. Even moderately overweight increases the risk for developing gallstones. The most likely reason is that the amount of bile salts in bile is reduced, resulting in more cholesterol. Increased cholesterol reduces gallbladder emptying. Obesity is a major risk factor for gallstones, especially in women.
• Diet. Diets high in fat and cholesterol and low in fiber increase the risk of gallstones due to increased cholesterol in the bile and reduced gallbladder emptying.
• Rapid weight loss. As the body metabolizes fat during prolonged fasting and rapid weight loss—such as “crash diets”—the liver secretes extra cholesterol into bile, which can cause gallstones. In addition, the gallbladder does not empty properly.
• Age. People older than age 60 are more likely to develop gallstones than younger people. As people age, the body tends to secrete more cholesterol into bile.
• Ethnicity. American Indians have a genetic predisposition to secrete high levels of cholesterol in bile. In fact, they have the highest rate of gallstones in the United States. The majority of American Indian men have gallstones by age 60. Among the Pima Indians of Arizona, 70 percent of women have gallstones by age 30. Mexican American men and women of all ages also have high rates of gallstones.
• Cholesterol-lowering drugs. Drugs that lower cholesterol levels in the blood actually increase the amount of cholesterol secreted into bile. In turn, the risk of gallstones increases.
• Diabetes. People with diabetes generally have high levels of fatty acids called triglycerides. These fatty acids may increase the risk of gallstones.

• Pain in the right upper part of the abdomen
• Pain may comes every few days, weeks, or months; they may even be separated by years. 
• The pain usually starts within 30 minutes after a fatty or greasy meal.
• The pain is usually severe, dull, and constant, and can last from one to five hours.
• It may radiate to the right shoulder or back.
• It occurs frequently at night and may awaken the person from sleep.
• The pain may make the person want to move around to seek relief, but many patients prefer to lay still and wait for the attack to subside.

• nausea and vomiting,
• fever,
• indigestion, belching, bloating,
• intolerance for fatty or greasy foods, and
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes).

Treatment

Surgical options-Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)

Homeopathy Medicines Treatment for gallstones