Causes of Gallbladder Pain

Gallbladder is a small organ, which is situated on the right hand side of the abdomen below the liver. Its main functions are with respect to the digestion process and storing bile.

It's a hollow organ, and is about 4 cm in diameter when completely dilated. When there is an excess amount of cholesterol in the body, it may get deposited in the gallbladder, which may result in abdominal pain, as well as gallbladder diseases.

These excess deposits are called gallstones or gallbladder stones. Moreover, gallbladder dysfunction may also be a reason for this ailment.

The symptoms of pain in this organ are similar to other digestive tract disorders. One of the most common symptoms is constipation, which may be caused due to other conditions also. If the pain is due to gallbladder problems, then you will get it on the right side of the upper abdomen.

This is the most obvious location, but you may get it between the blades of the shoulders as well. You might find it difficult to digest foods rich in fat, and the stools might be chalky or light colored.

Other common symptoms include nausea, headache during the night, diarrhea, a heavy feeling, belching or burping, gas, and bloating. Other than these, you may feel severe pain in your abdomen, and also might get fever.

Many people have complained of pain even after a surgery, wherein the gallbladder stones are removed. There may be repeated pain on the right side of the abdomen, and this is called post-cholecystectomy syndrome.

There may be problems with the bile ducts, further resulting in pain even after getting a gallbladder surgery done. Besides this, there are several other constituents of the bile duct system, and if there are gallstones in them, pain may occur.

Moreover, pain in the right side of the abdomen may occur due to other diseases, like irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer disease, etc., which are not related to this condition.

Pregnancy related pains are pretty common, but then you need to be wary of gallbladder pain. It can cause problems not only during the course of pregnancy, but also after giving birth to the child.

After this, there may be stabbing pain along with intestinal discomfort, which may be due to stones in the gallbladder. When the ducts of the gallbladder are blocked due to formation of stones, pain results. Usually surgery to remove gallbladder stones is done after the childbirth, but if the pain is unbearable, then it may be done during pregnancy.

There are times when there may be pain in the upper right abdomen, and tests may not be able to detect stones in the gallbladder. This may be due to a condition called acalculous biliary pain due to blockage or improper functioning of the gallbladder.

In this case, you may need to go through another type of test called gallbladder ejection fraction, wherein a dye is used, and a scan of the gallbladder is taken, after which a hormone is injected that helps this organ to contract.

The size of the gallbladder is measured to detect any defect in it. Moreover, there are times when inflammation of the pancreas may lead to pain of the upper right abdomen, a similar symptom of gallbladder pain.

One of the best ways of controlling the pain is to manage your diet, and reducing the amount of cholesterol and fat that is consumed. Moreover, you can also opt for gallbladder cleansing diets, which helps in the elimination of gallstone causes.

Some of the best cleansing diets include juice of fresh pear, lemon, and apple. Additionally, you should try and increase the amount of soup and monounsaturated fats consumed. Flax seed oil, fish oil, canola oil, and olive oil are excellent sources of this type of fat. Other remedies include using warm compress, anti-inflammatory drugs, and/or painkillers.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this story is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.