Pain in the gallbladder

Pain in the gallbladder can worry patients after the disease is developing at full speed. At the initial stages of the disease of the gallbladder, there may not be any symptoms. For example, pain may not be with the formation and growth of stones in the gallbladder. Therefore, at the slightest sign of pain, you need to see a doctor for a detailed diagnosis of the gallbladder. This will help prevent the disease and start treating it on time.

Causes of pain in the gallbladder

Pain in diseases of the gallbladder is almost always worried for one of two reasons: gallstones or cholecystitis. The stones that form in the gallbladder range in size from a millimeter to several centimeters. Stones in the bile, usually consist of cholesterol or bilirubin.

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder. Despite the fact that cholecystitis is most often caused by the appearance of gallstones, there are other less common causes of pain. It can be pain in the heart (angina or a heart attack due to ischemia (decreased blood flow to the heart).

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Why can the causes of gallbladder pain be identified incorrectly?

Pain in the gallbladder and heart, although caused by two very different processes, can be very similar. So, they can be mistaken for diagnosis. The fact that sometimes the pain in the heart can be felt in the middle of the upper abdomen, and biliary colic can be felt in the chest, where the heart is located. Pain in the gallbladder and pain in the heart can also give the same symptoms - nausea and vomiting. Thus, any patient with pain with a typical biliary colic must necessarily undergo an electrocardiogram to exclude the possibility of coronary heart disease.

Cholecystitis as a cause of pain in the gallbladder

Cholecystitis can occur as a complication of prolonged obstruction of the ducts of the gallbladder. This happens when inflammation of the gallbladder develops as a result of a bacterial infection. If this condition leads to sudden obstruction of the ducts, it can begin as a biliary colic. Less often, cholecystitis can develop without pain, which is a typical symptom of biliary colic, especially in situations where the main cause of the disease may not be gallstones but inflammation or gallbladder infection. For example, beskamenny cholecystitis, vasculitis, etc.

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Symptoms of pain in the gallbladder for various diseases

Pain in the gallbladder with cholecystitis differs from pain in biliary colic. It is felt in the same area of the abdomen and constantly, but the cause of the pain is the inflammation of the ducts. Pain can be aggravated by shaking, for example, when a person jumps. Then the person tries to lie down, so that the pain in the bile calm down. Other signs of inflammation of the gallbladder may be soreness in the right upper abdomen (although this can also occur with the dilatation of the gallbladder without inflammation) and fever.

Complexity of diagnosis of the gallbladder condition in the formation of stones

Few people are aware that 70-80% of people with gallstones never know, they have them. These are the so-called "silent stones in the gallbladder". People who do not know what's going on in their bodies are getting bigger. These numbers are constantly growing. The development of "quiet" stones in the gallbladder causes attacks of pain in the gall bladder in 1% of cases per year.

Stones tend to get stuck in the bile ducts leading from the gallbladder or liver. When the stones in the gall bladder enter the ducts, they lead to a specific type of pain called biliary colic. If you suspect a biliary colic, you should definitely perform a test for the diagnosis of gallstones, first of all, an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.

In about 5% of cases, ultrasound can not show the presence of gallstones. In such situations, if the symptoms of biliary colic are typical, doctors will conduct other, more complex tests for the diagnosis of gallstones, in particular, endoscopic ultrasound.

Most stones in the gallbladder do not cause pain, and often with ultrasound of the abdominal cavity they are discovered accidentally. If the symptoms of gallbladder pain are atypical for biliary colic, it is unlikely that the pain is caused by gallstones. This is important to understand, because surgery to remove gallstones is unlikely to alleviate such symptoms.

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What are the characteristics of pain in the gallbladder?

The term "biliary colic" with pain in the gallbladder is not always private. Colic is pain that comes and goes. With biliary colic, pain does not come and go. Their intensity may fluctuate over time, but this pain does not disappear. It's a constant pain. It appears quite suddenly, or the person starts intense pains - or the intensity of the pain accumulates and quickly reaches a peak.

Symptoms of pain in biliary colic

Pain in the gallbladder with biliary colic remains constant (although, perhaps, fluctuates in the strength of the attacks), and then gradually disappears. The duration of this pain is from 15 minutes to several hours. If the pain lasts less than 15 minutes, it is unlikely to be caused by gallstones. If the pain lasts longer than several hours, it is either not biliary colic, or cholelithiasis has already led to complications, for example, cholecystitis.

• Pain in biliary colic is usually very severe.
• During movements, pain in the gallbladder does not increase, since the movements do not affect the stretching of the ducts of the gallbladder.
• Pain in biliary colic is most severe in the middle of the upper abdomen (epigastric region).
• Another place for the appearance of severe pain may be the right upper abdomen, where the gallbladder is located.

Other less common areas of pain for problems in the gallbladder - the most intense pain in the left upper abdomen, less often in the lower abdomen.

For unknown reasons, pain in the gallbladder can give to other areas of the body, for example, in the right shoulder or right shoulder blade.

Biliary colic occurs mainly after eating (a common point of view that is not always true). Biliary colic often occurs in the evening or at night, and then a person wakes up. During eating, biliary colic occurs extremely rarely.

Biliary colic is a constant problem, but it occurs less often than once a month.

What are the common symptoms of gallbladder pain?

The most common symptom that accompanies biliary colic is nausea with or without vomiting. Vomiting does not relieve pain. Other nonspecific symptoms are caused by the body's response to pain: increased sweating, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath. It can also be severe pain in the lower abdomen, bloating and eructations, diarrhea.

When should I see a doctor if you have gallbladder pain?

Note, if you have severe pain in the abdomen and this symptom is accompanied by chills, fever, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Consultation of the gastroenterologist is also necessary in cases, if you have seen these symptoms.

• Pain - from moderate to severe - in the right side of the chest
• Pain in the gallbladder can give in the back or in the right shoulder
• Strong prolonged pain in the upper abdomen (biliary colic)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Gases
• Belching
• Frequent abdominal pain at night
• Pain that occurs after overeating
• Abdominal pain after fatty foods
• Pain worsens with deep breathing
• Attacks of pain in the abdomen can last from 15 minutes to 15 hours

Who should I contact if the gallbladder is aching?

Pain in the gallbladder is a serious symptom, which can be a signal of an already developed disease. Therefore, you need to spare no time for reception in the clinic and to identify the causes of the disease. And in this you will help the gastroenterologist, hepatologist and therapist.