Gallstones are small, hardened pieces of bile that form in the gallbladder. Bile helps you digest food. Your gallbladder stores bile and releases it when you eat.

Not all gallstones cause problems or require treatment. In fact, many people develop gallstones but never know it because they don't have any symptoms. Gallstones only become an issue when they get stuck in the ducts that connect the gallbladder to the intestine. Gallstones can get stuck either temporarily or permanently. Gallstones that are stuck temporarily cause symptoms like pain, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms go away when gallstones move. But symptoms can come back.

Gallstones that are stuck permanently can lead to inflammation and infection in the gallbladder (cholecystitis) or gallbladder ducts (cholangitis). You can also develop inflammation in your pancreas (pancreatitis). These are serious medical conditions that need urgent treatment.

This is why it's important to know the warning signs of gallstones. Recognizing these warning symptoms helps you get the care you need as soon as possible. Here are five signs of gallstones you don't want to miss.

1. Abdominal pain

Stomach pain is a sign that a gallstone is stuck, either temporarily or permanently. It feels intense and sharp. People may feel pain:

• On the right side of their abdomen

• Under the right side of their ribs

• In the center of their abdomen right beneath the rib cage

People usually develop this pain after eating. When you eat, your gallbladder squeezes down to push bile into your intestines. It relaxes once you're done eating, but it can take a few hours to completely relax.

During this process, a gallstone can get squeezed out of the gallbladder and into a small duct, where it can get stuck. When the gallbladder relaxes, the gallstone may slide back into the gallbladder. This will happen in the case of a temporarily stuck gallstone. Pain goes away when the gallstone moves out of the duct and back into the gallbladder. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 5 hours for the pain to go away.

This process can repeat itself every time you eat. This causes episodes of this off-and-on pain, which are called gallbladder attacks or biliary colic.

You should talk with your primary care provider as soon as possible if you've been experiencing intense abdominal pain, especially after eating. You may need treatment for your gallstones that can include medication and surgery.

Sometimes a gallstone remains stuck even after your gallbladder relaxes. This means it's a permanently stuck gallstone. These cause severe stomach pain that does not go away after 3 to 4 hours, along with other serious medical problems.

Seek care right away if you think you have a gallstone that's stuck. Severe stomach pain that isn't getting better (or that gets worse) is a sign that your gallstone is permanently stuck.

2. Nausea and vomiting

Some people also develop nausea and vomiting when they have a gallbladder attack (biliary colic). Nausea and vomiting can be brought on by pain from a gallbladder attack. In these cases, nausea and vomiting will go away once the gallbladder relaxes and the pain goes away.

Nausea and vomiting that don't go away can be a sign that the gallstone is permanently stuck. You should seek care right away if you have nausea and vomiting that aren't getting better during a gallbladder attack.

3. Back and shoulder pain

Some people might feel back pain between their shoulder blades or stomach pain that moves into their right shoulder during a gallbladder attack.

You should talk with your primary care provider as soon as possible if you've been experiencing episodes of this type of pain, especially after eating. These may be signs that you're experiencing biliary colic or gallbladder attacks.

Back or shoulder pain should go away once the gallbladder relaxes. Pain may not go away if the gallstone is permanently stuck. If you have pain that isn't getting better during a gallbladder attack, you should seek care as soon as possible.

4. Fever

Fever is a sign of infection and inflammation in the gallbladder or gallbladder (bile) duct. It may also be a sign of pancreatitis. These conditions need to be treated right away.

Fever may develop when a gallstone is permanently stuck. You may also develop symptoms like:

• Chills

• Fatigue/tiredness

• Loss of appetite

• General sense of feeling unwell

You should get medical care right away if you develop a temperature over 100.4 F and you have a history of gallbladder attacks, even if you don't have other symptoms like stomach pain at the same time. It's important to pay attention to your temperature and how you feel overall if you have a history of biliary colic. These may be your only clues that a gallstone is still stuck.

5. Yellow eyes

A gallstone that gets stuck can cause bile buildup. This leads to jaundice, a serious medical condition that can cause damage to the liver and other parts of the body.

The first sign of jaundice is often yellowing of the white part of the eye (sclera). Over time, a buildup of bile will also make your skin turn yellow. Seek medical care right away if you notice yellowing of the white part of your eyes. Jaundice may develop alongside other symptoms of a stuck gallstone, like stomach pain that doesn't go away.

When should you seek care for gallstone symptoms?

You need emergency care if you have a stuck gallstone that isn't moving on its own. Signs you need care right away for a permanently stuck gallstone include:

• Fever

• Severe stomach pain that isn't going away

• Severe nausea and vomiting

• Severe shoulder or back pain that isn't going away

• Yellowing of the whites of your eyes

You need treatment when a temporarily stuck gallstone is causing gallbladder attacks. You don't need to get treatment immediately for temporarily stuck gallstones, but you should get care as soon as you can. Signs you should talk to your primary care provider as soon as possible include:

• Pain in your stomach or right shoulder that starts after eating and lasts minutes to hours

• Nausea and vomiting after eating that lasts minutes to hours

Treatment for gallstones can stop future gallbladder attacks and prevent serious infections.