Gallstone symptoms?

Gallstones are small clusters of crystals that form in the gallbladder. If they become large or numerous enough, they can block the organ’s ducts and prevent digestive bile from reaching the small intestine. Most gallstones are small and cause no harmful effects, but stones large enough to warrant removal cause symptoms such as indigestion, bloating, nausea, and pain. Severe gallstone symptoms, which include chills, fever, and severe pain, indicate an emergency.

How gallstones are formed

Stored in the gallbladder, bile is made up of water, cholesterol, salts, and bilirubin, a substance formed from the breakdown of red blood cells. In some cases, cholesterol or bilirubin can stick together, forming small “stones” and becoming trapped in the mucus inside the organ. Worldwide, between 10% and 20% of adults have gallstones, but fewer than half will ever experience any effect because they never grow large enough to cause harm. Stones that get larger over time can block the organ’s ducts, causing pain and other forms of discomfort. People are more likely to experience these symptoms as they get older, because the stones continue to form and grow throughout life.

Minor symptoms

When the first signs of gallstones appear, they can include indigestion, bloating, nausea, gas, and abdominal pain, known as biliary colic. Collectively, these are referred to as a gallbladder attack. Symptoms usually develop within an hour of eating a fatty meal and occur when stones block the cystic duct of the gallbladder. Fatty foods trigger an attack because bile is what enables fat to be digested in the stomach. The gallbladder contracts as it secretes bile, making it more likely that stones will become trapped in the cystic duct.

The abdominal pain associated with this disease is typically felt in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen and sometimes radiates to the right shoulder. Usually, the pain goes away within 60 to 90 minutes, but sometimes it can last for several hours. Mild pain can be relieved by over-the-counter medications. The pain and other effects gradually fade as the gallbladder stops contracting, allowing the stones to exit the duct.

People who experience mild gallstone symptoms during an attack have a 3% to 9% chance that the disease will progress to a more severe state. Anyone experiencing these symptoms on a regular basis should see a doctor so the condition can be monitored. Early diagnosis of the problem allows for more treatment options, including non-surgical procedures.

main symptoms

As the gallstones get larger or more numerous, the gallbladder often becomes inflamed and irritated, worsening the effects of an attack. The range of symptoms includes all those in the mild category, as well as vomiting, chills and fever. In an acute attack, the pain is more severe and may extend to cover the mid-abdominal area, right shoulder, and upper back.
This level of pain does not always respond to common pain medications, but should respond to pain relievers prescribed by a physician. People with severe pain are usually unable to find a comfortable sitting or lying position and tend to change positions repeatedly as a coping mechanism. These symptoms don’t necessarily indicate an emergency, but someone who experiences them is most likely a candidate for gallbladder removal in the future.

Contributing factors and treatments
For someone who progresses beyond the mild symptoms of gallbladder disease, the effects they experience will worsen with age, simply because the stones grow larger over time. Most people with prominent symptoms will eventually require some type of medical treatment. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a procedure for removing the gallbladder, is fairly common and typically relieves all symptoms, but it’s not always necessary.
Diet
Most gallstone symptoms develop after eating fatty foods, making diet one of the most important ways to control them. The more fat in any single meal, the greater the likelihood of an attack and the worse the effects. Adopting a low-fat diet will not completely eliminate the disease, but it will usually reduce the frequency and severity of pain episodes.

Exercise
The effects of an attack, especially the level of pain, can be made worse by exercise, because deep breathing and vigorous movement can put extra pressure on the contracting organ. Regular exercise improves a person’s overall health, but physical exertion during or after an episode should be avoided. Any movement during an attack should be slow and careful, not only to avoid making the pain worse, but because the symptoms of a severe attack can be slightly disorienting.
menstruation
While there’s no solid evidence to prove a connection, some women find that their symptoms worsen during menstruation, to the point where they sometimes feel mild gallbladder pain in the absence of other symptoms. Women have a higher risk of developing stones than men because estrogen promotes the secretion of cholesterol into the bile. If there is a connection between menstruation and gallbladder attacks, it could be due to the effect estrogen levels have on stone formation. When this phenomenon occurs it is no cause for alarm unless the symptoms are at an emergency level.
When do symptoms indicate an emergency?
In extreme cases, nausea, severe upper abdominal pain, and vomiting may occur in combination with a high fever, violent chills, or excessive sweating. These symptoms indicate an emergency situation where immediate medical attention is needed. This is especially true when symptoms are accompanied by jaundice, a condition in which the skin and whites of the eyes appear yellowish. These very serious symptoms develop when the gallbladder has stopped working properly, leading to the buildup of high levels of toxins in the body and bloodstream. This can occur due to gallbladder disease alone or in combination with complications, such as an infection.

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