They range in size from grains of sand to golf balls. Gallstone attack symptoms include sudden pain after eating, nausea, and vomiting if a deposit blocks bile flow to your small intestine.

While many people with gallstones remain symptom-free, around 10 per cent will experience symptoms within five years.

Q. I’m from an Italian-American family and we seem to have a predisposition for gallstones. Is this something people of my ethnic background get more often? A. I could find no evidence that ...