Dysphagia – most people take swallowing for granted — we take a bite of food, chew and swallow. But for some people, difficulty swallowing makes every meal a challenge. Occasional difficulty swallowing usually isn't cause for concern, and may simply occur when you eat too fast or don't chew your food well enough. But persistent difficulty swallowing may indicate a serious medical condition requiring treatment.
Difficulty swallowing may mean it takes more time and effort to move food or liquid from your mouth to your stomach. It also may be associated with pain and in some cases, you may not be able to swallow at all. Difficulty swallowing can occur at any age, but is most common in older adults. The causes of swallowing difficulties vary, and treatments depend upon the cause. In many cases, the condition can be partially or completely corrected.
Gallstones - gallstones form when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. The liquid, called bile is used to help the body digest fats. Bile is made in the liver, then stored in the gallbladder until the body needs to digest fat. At that time, the gallbladder contracts and pushes the bile into a tube—called the common bile duct—that carries it to the small intestine, where it helps with digestion.
Bile contains water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts, proteins, and bilirubin. Bile salts break up fat, and bilirubin gives bile and stool a yellowish color. If the liquid bile contains too much cholesterol, bile salts, or bilirubin, under certain conditions it can harden into stones.
The two types of gallstones are cholesterol stones and pigment stones. Cholesterol stones are usually yellow-green and are made primarily of hardened cholesterol. They account for about 80 percent of gallstones. Pigment stones are small, dark stones made of bilirubin. Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder can develop just one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or almost any combination.