Gallbladder Symptoms: Gallbladder Gallstones

Here’s everything you need to know about Gallbladder symptoms and Gallbladder Gallstones.

The gallbladder is a small organ located under your liver. This organ’s primary function is to aid in dietary fat digestion as well as concentrating the bile that is produced by your liver.

As you may have heard, gallstones are often associated with painful gallbadder symptoms. However, many people also suffer from silent gallstones or they don’t recognize the gallbladder symptoms if they are minor. Gallbladder symptoms and gallstones often mimic digestion pain and other gastrointestinal diseases, resulting in misdiagnoses or people ignoring the possibility of having gallstones.

There are two main types of gallstones. The first is cholesterol gallstones. This type of gallstone must be composed of at least 80 percent cholesterol by weight. These often range from 2-3 cm in length and can have a dark spot in the centre. This type of gallstone is harder to detect through ultrasound examination, as it often blends in with the surrounding bile.

The second type of gallstone is a pigment stone. This stone is generally dark in colour and is comprised of bilirubin and calcium. Unlike cholesterol stones, these gallstones are easily detected by ultrasound examination.

A problem with gallstones is that they can range from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball. Small gallstones often don’t cause symptoms or may not cause much discomfort. This causes people to often overlook it. Larger gallstones may cause gallbladder attacks, a painful condition. It is not until this attack occurs that most people will seek proper diagnoses or treatment.

Symptoms often include pain on the upper middle or right abdominal, a dull ache on the right side of the body, and pain between the shoulder blades. You may also find it difficult to sit up straight or walk without feeling immense pain. Gallbladder attacks may last up to hours and usually peak around 15 minutes. These attacks often occur after fatty meals and the pain may also increase while breathing in deeply. Other symptoms may include  yellowing of eyes and skin, diarrhea, excessive weight gain, headaches, acid reflux, dizziness, and constipation.

If you are already experiencing the above symptoms along with a fever or the chills, you should contact your local physician immediately, as it may indicate your gallbladder symptoms and gallstones may worsen if not treated. Your doctor will examine your gallbladder and fully diagnose it and recommend a treatment. In more serious cases, gallbladder removal via surgery may be necessary to prevent further painful gallbladder symptoms.

Now you know more about Gallbladder symptoms and Gallbladder Gallstones than most gall bladder sufferers. Feel free to share the info with them ASAP.