10 Symptoms of Gallbladder Diseases

The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ about 8cm to 12cm long, which sits just under the liver in the upper-right part of your abdomen. The gallbladder is a reservoir of bile, which is a combination of fluids, bile salts and cholesterol, that helps break down fat in your food. This allows fat soluble vitamins and nutrients to be absorbed easily into the bloodstream. Bile drains into the small intestine (duodenum) during digestion. Symptoms of gallbladder diseases look very similar, which makes it difficult to say the exact gallbladder condition causing trouble for a patient. Common symptoms of gallbladder diseases are: 1. Pain. Pain caused by gallbladder disease is typically located below the right rib cage, and in some cases, it radiates to the back or right shoulder. Since the etiology and explanation of the back and shoulder pain are different from the pain in the area of a gallbladder, it will be categorized under the “referred pain“ section below. The pain under the right rib cage is caused by an inflammation of the gallbladder and other close anatomical structures; connective tissue, sometimes fat and the abdominal wall. The intensity varies from just a mild discomfort to crippling pain that intensifies even on the slightest touch. Such pains last for hours or even days. With chronic inflammation, it can intensify after eating. 2. Referred Pain In Back and Right Shoulder. Referred pain is a fascinating phenomenon in medicine that still hasn't been adequately explained to this day. One of the widely accepted theories suggests that sensory nerves carrying pain impulses from the inflamed gallbladder intersect with sensory nerves from the back and right shoulder, passing the impulses to those nerve fibers. This results in the brain getting false information that the back, shoulder and gallbladder are hurting while in reality, only the gallbladder is affected. This “mistake of nature“ provides valuable information to doctors in the decision making process. 3. Nausea & Vomiting. The gallbladder holds the enzymes needed for proper digestion. In the absence of these enzymes due to a blockage or inflammation, digestion becomes difficult, making the gut bacteria take over and the entire cycle of digestion changes causing frequent episodes of nausea, and in severe cases vomiting. Based only on these symptoms, it’s hard to tell if the gallbladder or pancreas is the cause, since they both secrete specific enzymes essential to digestion. Nausea and vomiting are unspecific symptoms that may be caused by other conditions too, so they're just a piece of a puzzle that makes sense only if accompanied with other signs characteristic to gallbladder disease. 4. Fever. Patients with acute gallbladder inflammation often complain of shivers and increased body temperature. Profuse sweating and confusion accompany the fever. Acute gallbladder inflammation in most cases is an unpleasant, painful condition which is followed by high fever. Chronic inflammation on the other hand often causes discomfort and mild pain only, without fever. Keep in mind that acute inflammation of gallbladder may not be caused only by the gallstones, but by other pathologies as well - polyps for example. The exact diagnosis is almost always established after ultrasound examination, or in the operating theatre. 5. Changes In Bowel Movements. Most gallbladder diseases cause changes in bowel movements. Typically, patients complain of abdominal discomfort and pains after eating fatty foods which are followed by episodes of diarrhea. The distinctive sign of gallbladder disease are the appearance of almost white, fatty stools with a particularly unpleasant odor. In cases of acute pathologies, these signs and symptoms are more pronounced than in chronic pathologies. Again, ultrasound and other diagnostic tools are needed to determine the exact cause of gallbladder disease since the changes in bowel movements are not specific symptoms. 6. Jaundice. Jaundice is quite a common sign among patients who suffer liver/ gallbladder/ pancreas disease. It's caused by bile pigments that piles up in the corneas and skin. In the beginning, the white of the eye turns a yellowish tint and as the amount of bile pigments increases throughout the body, skin turns yellow too. Some people get just a slight yellow tint, while other get an intense shade of yellow giving a bizarre appearance. Jaundice always requires a close medical follow up since the causes might be anywhere between easy to resolve conditions such as gallstones, to aggressive tumors. Essentially, jaundice occurs due to the blockage of bile outflow, and starts to subside almost immediately after the outflow is re-established. 7. Changes In Urine Color. Just as bile pigments “fill up“ the body, they “overflow“ to the urine as well. The urine becomes very dark, and in severe cases almost black. As soon as the bile outflow is re-established, the urine color slowly goes back to normal. Other than the unusual color, bile pigments do not generally cause other problems in the urinary tract, unless it's an extreme or rare case, but you should always consult your doctor for proper diagnosis to avoid further complications. 8. Generalized Itch. Some patients with jaundice report a generalized itch. As the bile pigments pile up in the skin, they irritate nerve endings causing an itch. In most cases, the irritation occurs only in patients with severe jaundice. During treatment, if the itch subsides then this is seen as a sign of recovery. Just like dark urine, the itch has no particular consequences to general health, but indirectly suggest bile pigments are at a level so high they can cause brain dysfunction. Generalized unexplained itch in the absence of jaundice also needs a close medical check-up since it might be a sign of certain diseases that affect white blood cells. 9. Diarrhea & Abdominal Discomfort. In the absence of bile enzymes and proper digestion, consumption of fatty foods are followed with diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. The symptom is characteristic of chronic gallbladder inflammation, although it might be present in acute pathologies as well. Patients report that eating abundant fatty meals, often combined with alcohol lead to episodes of diarrhea. A more appropriate diet can help relieve discomfort. 10. Acute vs Chronic Cholecystitis. Cholecystitis is a medical term for gallbladder inflammation. It is one of the most common abdominal pathologies seen in adults (besides functional disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, peptic and duodenal ulcers and diarrhea syndromes). Chronic inflammation is a condition in which the gallbladder gradually scars due to repetitive low-intensity inflammation. The symptoms may be so mild it often goes unrecognized. Acute cholecystitis has a sudden onset, the intensity of symptoms is high, and often the only treatment modality is surgical removal of the gallbladder. The chronic form of the disease can turn into acute inflammation.

9. Diarrhea & Abdominal Discomfort

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