Holiday Feasts May Bring on Gallstones
(HealthDayNews, 12/20/03)

Gallstones are clusters of solid cholesterol-containing material that form in the gallbladder, the small organ beneath the liver that facilitates digestion by storing and releasing bile into the intestine. Gallstones may develop when bile contains excessive amounts of cholesterol or when substances in the bile cause the cholesterol to crystallize or when the gallbladder does not empty regularly. A person with “silent” gallstones may be unaware of their existence because they are asymptomatic; but indigestion that occurs when indulging in fatty foods may signal their presence. Other symptoms include nausea or vomiting and sudden severe pain in the upper abdomen and/or in the right shoulder area.