Gallstones don't usually cause any symptoms. But if a gallstone blocks one of the bile ducts, it can cause sudden, severe abdominal pain, known as biliary colic. Other symptoms may develop if the blockage is more severe or develops in another part of the digestive system. Gallstones can cause sudden,
severe abdominal pain that usually lasts 1 to 5 hours, although it can sometimes last just a few minutes. The pain can be felt: The pain is constant and isn't relieved by going to the toilet, passing wind or being
sick. It's sometimes triggered by eating fatty foods, but may happen at any time of day and may wake you up during the night. Biliary colic doesn't happen often. After an episode of pain, it may be several weeks or months before you have another episode. Some people also have periods where they sweat excessively and feel sick or vomit. When gallstones cause episodes of biliary colic, it's known as uncomplicated gallstone disease. Other symptomsOccasionally, gallstones can cause more serious problems if they obstruct the flow of bile for longer periods or move into other organs, such as the pancreas or small bowel. If this happens, you may develop:
Doctors refer to this more severe condition as complicated gallstone disease. Read more about the complications of gallstones. When to get medical adviceMake an appointment to see a GP if you think you may have biliary colic. Contact your GP immediately for advice if you develop:
If it's not possible to contact your GP immediately, phone your local out-of-hours service or call NHS 111. Page last reviewed: 19 November 2021
 Describing Gallbladder PainAs I often tell patients, it seems that gallbladder pain is divided into about 80% “typical” type symptoms and the other 20% of those suffering from gallbladder pain have at least some element of “atypical” gallbladder symptoms. Typical Gallbladder Symptoms of Pain“Typical” gallbladder symptoms of experiencing sharp or a dull ache located in the front or right side of your abdomen just under the rib cage occur most frequently. This is in the right upper quadrant of your abdomen, where your gallbladder is located. However, the gallbladder is located a bit further back inside the abdomen (towards your back) than most people suspect. Therefore, other typical symptoms include pain in the right flank (more on your right side) or often feeling the pain as back pain. When felt in the back, the pain is usually more to the right side, often felt just beneath the right scapula or shoulder blade. However, just like some experience their gallbladder pain within the mid abdomen, some of those with back pain may feel the pain in the mid back area. Nausea and possibly vomiting are frequently associated, but may not occur in some. Another “typical” feature is to experience the discomfort 15 to 45 minutes after eating food with a high fat content or just fat containing food. Most people realize that fried foods, ice cream, foods with dairy such as cheese (pizza anyone?), or many desserts can cause a gallbladder attack. However even those foods known for “good fats” such as avocados, nuts, or olive oil can cause an attack as well. Even for patients trying to eat a low fat diet such as enjoying a salad, the salad dressing frequently contains oil which can stimulate the gallbladder. Crampy abdominal pain and loose stool occur often just following a gallbladder attack. Atypical Symptoms of Gallbladder Pain“Atypical” symptoms of gallbladder pain may be only 15%, but we see them fairly often just due to the high number of people who have gallbladder problems. One of the most frequent atypical symptoms is actually to have no pain whatsoever, but nausea, or nausea and vomiting, alone. Chest pain, especially on the right lower side of the chest, frequently occurs, often with other, more typical symptoms of gallbladder pain. Another atypical symptom is to have loose stool (sometimes explosive) after eating, but not necessarily associated with pain which can be due to gallbladder dysfunction. Left sided abdominal pain, usually just below the left rib cage does occur due to a bad gallbladder in some patients and this particular location can be the most difficult to diagnose as a bad gallbladder. Many of these patients undergo un-needed testing such as CT scans, upper and lower endoscopies (upper scope and colonoscope testing) as providers do not consider the gallbladder as a possible source of the left sided abdominal pain since the gallbladder is situated on the right side and most often causes symptoms there. In these patients, it is almost as if they feel their gallbladder in a “mirror type position” as those that have the more usual symptoms. If you are experiencing left sided abdominal pain under your rib cage after meals and especially after fatty meals you should add a gallbladder work up to your diagnostic tests. When Should You Contact a General Surgeon?Gallbladder pain can be very painful. We can help. Schedule an appointment if you think you might need gallbladder surgery. You can contact us at 208.321.4790 or submit a contact form to request a gallbladder consultation. RelatedHow do I know if I'm having a gallbladder attack?Gallbladder Attack Symptoms. Pain that lasts several hours.. Abdominal pain after eating.. Nausea or vomiting.. Fever or chills.. Light-colored stool.. Brownish-colored urine.. Yellowing of skin or whites of eyes.. What triggers a gallbladder attack?Anything in the stomach causes the gallbladder to squeeze, even a glass of water, but it squeezes harder when there is fat in the stomach. So anything greasy, fried foods, pizza, will stimulate the gallbladder even harder and make it squeeze harder.
When should you go to the ER for gallbladder pain?The most common gallstone symptom is severe abdominal pain in the upper right area of the stomach, which can spread to the shoulder or upper back. You may also vomit and feel nauseous. Seek emergency medical care if these symptoms last more than two hours or you have a fever.
What is the fastest way to relieve gallbladder pain?What is the fastest way to relieve gallbladder pain? For gallbladder pain relief, you can try applying a warm compress to the affected area. You may be able to drink peppermint tea to soothe the pain or take a magnesium supplement to help empty your gallbladder.
|
What does it feel like to have a gallbladder attack
Related Posts
Copyright © 2024 boxhoidap Inc.
