Common Health Problems That Cause Gallbladder Pain
Many people don’t give much thought to their gallbladder until they develop symptoms like indigestion and abdominal cramps. Gallbladder pain may be the first sign that something is wrong for most people.
The gallbladder has a somewhat silent but important role in your digestive health. A small, hollow organ, it’s located in the upper-right abdomen and stores bile secreted by the liver. The greenish fluid contains cholesterol, bile salts and pigments and is designed to break down your dietary fats for digestion. Bile also helps you to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, E, D and K.
The gallbladder will hold and concentrate the bile then release it based on food triggers. For instance, when you eat a meal which is high in fat, the gallbladder receives a signal to squeeze and release a potent volume of bile into the small intestine.
This process is silent and painless unless there is a blockage or other obstruction of the gallbladder preventing it form functioning.
Common sources of gallbladder pain include:
Gallstones (Cholelithiasis) When the contents of bile are imbalanced, crystals and small stones can form. These are usually made up of hardened cholesterol, but can contain pigments like bilirubin as well. The stones range in size from grains of sand to large golf balls and will not only impair proper gallbladder contraction, but stones pushed out of the gallbladder can lodge in a duct.
Even though up to 90% of people who have gallstones will not experience any negative symptoms, the severe pain of biliary colic (gallbladder attack) makes a lasting impression, even when rare. Gallstones may pass out of bile ducts unnoticed but if they become stuck, the distention of the duct and build up of pressure may cause deep spasmodic pain and other symptoms.
A gallbladder will contract powerfully against a blockage, causing extreme cramping and eating high fat or fried meals at this time will exacerbate the problem.
Cholecystitis, another source of pain is inflammation of the gallbladder walls themselves. Gallstones are the leading cause of this painful irritation, but excessive alcohol use, chronic infection and thickened gallbladder sludge may also cause cholecystitis.
Swelling episodes can last for several hours and will feel much like a gallbladder attack but may be accompanied by fever and cause the gallbladder to be sore to touch.
Less common causes for gallbladder pain symptoms can be sensitive or narrowed bile ducts, tumors or gallbladder cancer.
Common health problems which may precipitate these symptoms are:
- Obesity
- Lack of physical exercise
- High cholesterol
- Poor diet
- Excess estrogen
- Age
- AIDS
- Certain genetic factors
Gallbladder disease may cause the following symptoms:
- Upper and upper right abdominal pain
- Abdominal tenderness to touch
- Pain with onset an hour or two after meals, or late at night
- Pain which is worse after eating fried, heavy or high-fat meals
- Abdominal cramps, gas and bloating after meals
- Pain which radiates to the chest, back or right shoulder
- Darkened urine or light-colored stools
- Yellow-toned skin
Natural gallstone treatment options like The Pulvrexx Protocol are available.
