If the stone doesn't fall back into the gallbladder and unplug the duct, then inflammation or infection can occur in the gallbladder. When the stone gets trapped there, it causes bile pigments to build up, turning the skin a pale shade of yellow, which is a condition called jaundice. Other problems could result from this type of buildup, including pain, fever, infection and inflammation of the pancreas. Researchers aren't sure why women get so many more gallstones than men, but they do. Not only that, the more children a woman has, the more likely she is to get gallstones.
Doctors can also name some factors that just seem to complicate the puzzle.
But since women in all groups get more gallstones than men, experts conclude that hormones definitely figure in the gender phenomenon. Even pregnancy and childbirth can precipitate gallstones, Dr. Nolan says. It's two times greater with the lower doses of estrogen and four times greater with the higher doses. This doesn't mean that you should avoid HRT just to avoid gallstones. I wouldn't advise anybody to go off HRT because of the risk of gallstones.