Abdominal pain can be caused by inflammation, blockage in the intestines, loss of blood supply, or extra sensitivity to the nerves of the organs.

Gallstones are formed inside of the gallbladder. They are solid, calculi, material made by growth from cholesterol and pigmentation in the spleen. This growth can pass from the gallbladder to the cystic duct, common bile duct, or the pancreatic duct. If the stone blocks these ducts it can cause serious life-threatening conditions like inflammation of the pancreas. If your pancreas is inflamed, it can cause you to have a lot of digestive problems.

If you have gallstones it can cause many other problems as well such as severe inflammation in the intestines which causes withholding of the bile in the gallbladder. Because of the inflammation, an infection from the bacteria being in the intestines can arise.

The signs and symptoms of abdominal pain as opposed to gallstones can be difficult to differentiate, but a few things to keep in mind about gallstones are:

• A Characteristic sign of a gallstone is an intense pain in the upper-right side of the abdomen that increases in intensity for 30 minutes to several hours.

• Gallstones are usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

• Pain can be felt below the right shoulder or shoulder blades.

• Gallstone attacks can happen after a very fatty meal and usually at night.

• Intolerance to fatty foods, gas, indigestion and bloating are all symptoms that, when taken together with the pain, can mean you have gallstones.

When your physician is making a diagnosis, of the cause of abdominal pain, a few things they take into consideration are: the origin of the pain or how it began, the location of the pain, the pattern of the pain, the duration of the pain or how long it lasts, and if anything makes it worse or relieves the pain.

Upon physical examination, the doctor will determine what tests to administer based on the findings. Together with your history and physical, laboratory tests, x-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, barium x-rays, and an MRI can be used to find your diagnosis.

Increased temperature, diarrhea, or bleeding from your rectum can be other symptoms of a Gallstone. Tenderness and inflammation in the left lower abdomen, usually, means you may have inflamed pouches in the colon, or an abscess may have formed. Tenderness in the lower right abdomen can mean appendicitis or Crohn’s disease.

Often times, surgery is needed to resolve the Gallstone. Occasionally, all that is needed to cure abdominal pain is medication to get rid of the infection and inflammation.

There are 2 primary types of gallstones that may cause gallstones symptoms. One is the cholesterol gallstone, where the stone must be made up of a minimum of 80% cholesterol. Typically, these types of gallstones can vary from 2-3 cm, and they often have a darkish spot in the centre. These gallstones may be more difficult to detect via ultrasound examination, because it often blends in with the bile in your gallbladder.

The second gallstone is known as a pigment stone. This stone is usually darker in colour than the cholesterol gallstone and it is composed of minerals, such as calcium and bilirubin. These stones are easily detected through ultrasound. Sometimes, smaller gallstones might not cause much discomfort, which can cause people to ignore or overlook their symptoms. Larger gallstones may cause gallbladder attacks, which are painful.

Symptoms you might get are: pain on the upper right abdominal area, as well as chest and shoulder pain. The pain you receive might be either a dull ache or a quick sharp jab.

Along with these symptoms, you might experience excessive weight gain, headaches, acid reflux, increased flatulence, dizziness, constipation or diarrhea, and jaundice. These symptoms occur more often after large fatty meals.

Your digestive tract can form sores called ulcers. Ulcers occur when the acidic digestive juices in your stomach corrode the lining of your digestive tract. Most commonly, the sores are found in the duodenum. However, the ulcers can also be found in the stomach, and these are called gastric ulcers.

Similar to gallstones symptoms, stomach ulcer symptoms can vary and many people might have little or no symptoms at all.

Those with ulcers may feel a burning, gnawing, hunger pain a few hours after eating meals or in the middle of the night. Stomach ulcer pain is characterized by a throbbing pain. Often, these pains go away by eating food or taking antacids. It is important to note that the amount of pain one receives does not equate to how serious one’s ulcer is. Some individuals experience pain after an ulcer is completely healed! You may also feel bloating, loss of appetite, nausea, heartburn, weakness, and fatigue.

A major difference in the two is that gallstones symptoms can lead to jaundice. This is a medical condition where bile is backed up into the liver and forced into the bloodstream. It will cause the whites of the eyes and the skin to turn yellow. This condition is serious, and if noted, one should see their physician right away.

If you are still unsure if you are having gallstones symptoms or a stomach ulcer, your doctor will be able to do an ultrasound or a barium GI x-ray examination to determine your condition.

Gallbladder Surgery Pros

The gallbladder is not necessary for survival. It stores bile that is produced by your liver. After cholecystectomy (the removal of the gallbladder), the liver will still produce bile, which will flow through the hepatic duct, to the bile duct, and into the small intestines. The only difference is that when you eat a fatty meal, the gallbladder secretes extra bile to help with the digestion of fat. However, the body is usually able to adjust to this change without any major problems.

Gallbladder Surgery Cons

Occasionally, patients have the original symptoms again after cholecystectomy. The return of the symptoms can range anywhere from weeks to years, if they happen at all.

These symptoms occur because the excess cholesterol in your liver can cause crystallization in the bile duct or the liver itself. The symptoms that may reoccur are: mild discomfort in the digestive area to intense abdominal pain. Increased flatulence, an irrated bowel, upper abdominal pain (which is where the gallbladder was once located), and s gain or a loss in weight. If a gallstone forms and blocks the bile duct, it may result in jaundice, a condition where bile is forced into the blood stream and causes the whites of your eyes and your skin to turn yellow.

The function of the gallbladder is to store bile. When one undergoes gallbladder surgery, the liver allows the flow of bile into the small intestines more frequently, causing diarrhea in a very small population of about 1 percent. Some individuals will not be able to eat very fatty foods after undergoing cholecystectomy.

For some individuals, the symptoms may even increase in frequency. The return of gallstones can be removed by a gastroenterologist successfully using the ERCP procedure. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a technique that uses fluoroscopy and endoscopy to help diagnose and treat problems in the biliary or pancreatic systems.

Gallbladder Surgery Alternatives

One non-surgical treatment is to use medicine, such as oral bile acid pills. These pills contain chenodiol or ursodial, which helps dissolve the gallstones by thinning out the bile. These pills work well on patients who have small gallstones that are made of cholesterol only.

Other treatments include: extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, contact dissolution therapy, and pecutaneous cholecystostomy.

If you have questions, see your local physician to determine if gallbladder surgery is right for you, or if a non-surgical treatment is more suitable.

If you do not know by now…

The gall bladder is a tiny organ that is located under your liver. This organ stores bile that is produced by your liver and it releases the bile into your small intestines after fatty meals to help digest dietary fats.

The gall bladder may form gallstones, small pebble-like structures that can range from the size of a few millimetres to the size of a golf-ball.

It is possible for the gall bladder to get stuck in your bile duct, causing numerous health-related problems. Fortunately, there are some good gall bladder diets for gall stones.

There are some foods that may help prevent gallstones.

What types of foods would benefit you for a gallbladder diet?

–        Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. If fresh fruits aren’t available, try buying some frozen ones at the grocery market and blending them in the blender to make a fruit smoothie. Good examples of fruits and vegetables are: lemons, apples, figs, pears, guavas, grapes, papayas, berries, coconuts, apricots, and prunes.

–        Avoid eating foods that are deep fried and fatty, as well as red meats.

–        Instead of using a salad dressing, try making a vinaigrette made of olive oil, flax seeds, lemon juice, vinegar, and some fresh herbs.

–        Eat foods that are high in fibre, such as refined grains like whole-wheat bread, pasta, and multi-grain rice

–        eat foods that are low in cholesterol and sugar. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol, try eating egg whites instead.

–        Eat low-fat dairy products.

–        Eat omega-3 fortified foods, eat more fish, or take fish oil capsules. Omega-3 prevents cholesterol build up in the bile

–        Use spices, tumeric, and ginger. These spices and foods have antiseptic properties and are also excellent in helping you digest your foods

–        Don’t forget to drink lots of water

This gallbladder diet for gallstones is only a compilation of recommendations of foods that may help reduce your chances of developing gallstones. If you are experiencing severe symptoms gall bladder symptoms, please see your physician immediately.