How To Understand Your Gallbladder Pain
Many people who have gallstones in their gallbladder don’t even know it. Those lucky individuals may never experience the excruciating pain of a gallbladder attack, but for those who do, it’s a memorable and often confusing experience. If you want to know how to understand gallbladder pain, you’re not alone.
Often sufferers visit their doctor only to be told that there is one treatment and that is surgical gallbladder removal. They are less successful getting answers about the cause of their pain or natural and safe solutions to heal and improve gallbladder function.
In addition, gallbladder pain affects people differently and can manifest in a few different ways.
Why Do We Get Gallbladder Pain?
The most common reason for gallbladder attack, (also known as biliary colic) is gallstone blockage. Either a small stone travels into a duct where it gets stuck or it blocks the opening of the gallbladder. When this happens, the nerves that surround the small, pear-shaped organ become irritated.
Depending on the level of pressure and inflammation, the phrenic nerve in particular can send pain all along its length up to the right shoulder and neck. Pain also travels to the mid back and sometimes chest.
Because this is usually spasm and nerve pain, typical over the counter pain relievers often have little effect. Until the blockage passes, the pain remains.
Do You Know How To Recognize Gallbladder Pain?
The dreaded gallbladder attack will typically appear and hour or two after eating, when the food begins to enter the duodenum at the top of the intestines. As the gallbladder is signalled to release bile, the gallbladder squeezes and any blockage creates painful pressure and a back up of bile.
Pain will appear as a gnawing, aching or gripping sensation deep in the upper right abdomen. Sometimes it is felt more in the back, and it can even radiate to the right shoulder. It will peak between 15-30 minutes on average, then slowly fade over the next few hours.
It may come and go or remain steady. More severe and prolonged pain can be related to something called cholecystitis. This may accompany nausea, vomiting, fever or chills. In the case of severe, chronic gallbladder pain, medical attention is required.
After Learning How To Recognize Pain In The Gallbladder, Learn How To Treat It.
There are safe and natural steps you can take without surgery to treat gallstones and gallbladder symptoms. First, reduce harmful, toxic fats from your diet. Trans fats, hydrogenated fat, saturated fat and fried food, along with processed, junk foods are all hard to digest and have been linked to the formation of gallstones.
Your gallbladder compresses each time you eat fat but when it’s not functioning well and the fat content in meals is too high, the result is severe pain and dysfunction. Try consuming a moderate amount of only the highest quality, healthy fats.
Next, add gallbladder-friendly vegetables and supplements. These bitter, bile-producing plants and gallstone-dissolving ingredients can not only reduce and remove the stones you have but will work to prevent the formation of new stones and biliary sludge in the future.
For more information, see our posts about friendly gallbladder diet and remedies.
