Gallbladder Attack Symptoms

What Causes Symptoms Of A Gallbladder Attack?

Gallbladder attack symptoms are easier to understand if you know what a gallbladder attack is and what causes gallbladder attack symptoms. This requires knowing the role played by the gallbladder in metabolism, and how it functions.

Your gallbladder is a small pouch that is located next to your liver. This pouch is approximately the size of your thumb. The gallbladder stores bile, a substance which comes from the liver and helps break down the food you eat. Bile makes it easier for food to be absorbed by the intestines.

But sometimes the process is compromised or interrupted, which is the root cause of gallbladder attack symptoms. The most common cause of gallbladder attack symptoms is excessive cholesterol accumulation, which causes the gallbladder to become inflamed and irritated. The inflammation and irritation causes the pain that among the most common symptoms of a gallbladder attack.

The formation of gallstones will also cause signs of a gallbladder attack. Gallstones form when excess cholesterol crystallizes into substances that feel like pebbles. Gallstones can be tiny - no bigger than a grain of sand. But they can also be the size of a golf ball.

Symptoms of a gallbladder attack The most common symptom of a gallbladder attack is pain the lower abdominal area just below the rib cage. Pain could also appear in the right shoulder or even in the back between the shoulder blades. This pain may last just a few minutes, or it may go on for hours.

Other gallbladder attack signs and symptoms include

• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever and chills
• Dizziness
• Discomfort from a bloated stomach and stomach gas
• Irregular bowel movements including diarrhea or constipation. Stools will also look more light-colored than usual
• You may have pain above the right eye that resembles a headache

If pain or other gallbladder attack signs occur shortly after you've eaten a rich fatty meal, it's probably because your gallbladder has become overloaded with cholesterol. Someone with gallbladder problems is likely to suffer an attack after eating a lot of fried and fatty foods.

Treating the symptoms of a gallbladder attack Treatment depends on the cause and intensity of the symptoms. Hospitalization may be necessary. Treatment using intravenous fluids and electrolytes can alleviate discomfort and minimize the symptoms. Eating and drinking may be temporarily restricted. Doctors may place a tube through the nose and into the stomach. Antibiotics may also be prescribed.

If you have gallbladder attack symptoms often, your doctor may recommend a special gallbladder diet plan or even gallbladder removal surgery. Your gallbladder is actually an unnecessary organ and it can be removed with adverse effects to your metabolism. Your liver normally produces all the bile your body needs.

The medical name for a gallbladder attack is cholecystitis.