Difference between kidney stones and gallstones

Dr.Vikas Agarwal, 3 mins read

Both names sound similar to many, but they’re often easily confused. In both conditions, stones form and cause pain. But they are not the same. Let’s discover the difference between them.

Kidney stones vs. gallstones

• Kidney stones

As the name suggests, kidney stones form inside the kidneys - bean-shaped organs that filter the blood. These stones are formed from chemicals in the urine. When urine has too much waste to filter or doesn’t have less liquid content, the chemicals come together and form crystals. If these crystals do not come out from the kidneys at an early stage, they continuously attract other chemicals and elements over time and form hard structures called kidney stones.

They usually develop from crystals of calcium, phosphate, uric acid, and oxalate and affect urine flow. Kidney stones pain is usually intense and felt in the side and lower half of the backside. The pain may also radiate to the lower abdomen or groin area. 

Excessive consumption of some food like beetroot, tea, tomato, chocolate, spinach, and almost all types of nuts, combined with less drinking water, can lead to this condition. 

If the disease is not timely treated, it can lead to:

• Obstruction or blockage in the urinary tract
• Urinary tract infection
• Severe pain
• Pus formation with selling in the kidney (s)
• Urinary fistula - an abnormal opening between the bladder and some other organ
• Stenosis - narrowing of the ureters
• Severe loss of kidney function
• Perforation in the ureters
• Extravasation - collection of urine around kidney & ureter

Its treatment depends on the size of the stone and various other factors. In case of small stones, the doctor will prescribe medications and advise taking more water to help your kidney pass the stone through urine easily. For larger stones that cause severe symptoms and complications, you may need to undergo surgery. 

For its prevention, drinking more water, eating calcium-rich food, and avoiding too much salt are advised.  

• Gallstones

These stones are deposits of the hardened digestive fluid in the gallbladder - a small, pear-shaped organ located in the upper right abdomen. The organ stores and releases bile, a fluid that helps your body to digest fats in the food. 

Most gallstones usually form when the substances found in bile, like cholesterol, harden. Patients with this disease usually experience pain in the upper right abdomen or the centre of the stomach. The pain can be experienced anytime, especially after eating food high in fat.

Chemical imbalance of the bile in the gallbladder is the principal culprit of the condition. The chemical imbalance is believed to be caused by too much-concentrated bile, cholesterol, and bilirubin in the gallbladder.

If the disease is left untreated and unidentified, it can lead to itchy skin, chills, rapid heartbeat, yellowing of the skin, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, and confusion.

For its treatment, the doctor will first evaluate your condition and the size of the gallstone. Its treatment options include medications and gallbladder removal surgery. In the earlier stage, medicines are prescribed to dissolve gallstones. If the gallstones occur frequently and cause severe complications, the doctor usually advises gallbladder removal surgery. You can lead a healthy life even without a gallbladder.

Also, Read: Kidney Stones Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and prevention