How do you know if you’re having a gallbladder attack? Learn how to recognize the onset of a gallbladder attack by knowing the symptoms mentioned below.
Under your liver is a pear-shaped sac called the gallbladder. Its function is to store bile, which helps with fat digestion. If there is an infection or blockage in either a bile duct or tube that leads out of the gallbladder, you can experience painful inflammation.
As a result, hard deposits of calcium, cholesterol, and bilirubin can form in the cystic duct. The cystic duct is the bile tube connecting the gallbladder to the common bile duct that carries your bile to your small intestine.
These deposits, called gallstones, can cause pain during a gallbladder attack. Typically, gallstones don’t cause symptoms, but they can block the cystic duct or cause inflammation in certain cases.
In addition, bile can also cause similar symptoms if it gets clogged within the gallbladder or ducts. Keep in mind that you can experience gallbladder inflammation even without the presence of gallstones.
If you experience sudden and severe pain as a result of a gallbladder attack, you may need immediate hospitalization. Keep reading to find out the symptoms of a gallbladder attack so you can recognize them.
Common Symptoms of a Gallbladder Attack
1. Abdominal Pain
If you have severe abdominal pain, it may be a sign that you’re having a gallbladder attack. Pay attention to where the pain is coming from: if it’s an intensifying pain located in the upper portion of the abdomen and below the breastbone (usually the right side), then it might be a gallbladder attack.
The pain can last anywhere between 1 to 5 hours and is remains regardless of whether you urinate or pass gas. One of the triggers is eating fatty foods, which can cause pain at any time, day or night. However, the episodes may be infrequent, which means if you have one painful attack, it could be months before you experience another. To test if blockages are causing it, talk to your doctor about getting a blood test to check for increased liver enzymes.
2. Indigestion
Gallstones can cause indigestion by reducing the quantity of bile that enters the digestive tract. Therefore, if you have gas and indigestion after eating, then it can be a sign of a gallbladder attack.
In addition, you can experience biliary pain around the rib cage, your shoulder, and your upper back. However, keep in mind that it’s usually difficult to differentiate between this gallbladder attack symptom and heartburn. If you experience biliary pain, get evaluated by your healthcare provider immediately.
3. Vomiting
If you experience nausea and vomiting, it could be an early sign of a gallbladder attack. Moreover, individuals with gallbladder disease may feel like vomiting after eating meals. Vomiting can help get rid of gas pressure and stomach discomfort, providing some relief.
Furthermore, nausea will generally happen after eating large, fatty meals, at nighttime, and may be accompanied by a mild fever. Certain sleeping positions may put pressure on the affected area, causing nausea at night.
4. Loss of Appetite
Another common symptom in patients with gallbladder disease is a loss of interest in food. This appetite loss is a result of the aggravation caused by biliary pain. Patients will generally avoid food that causes discomfort and nausea.
Moreover, if the infection gets worse, it can block the bile duct and make digestion a painful process. If you experience a loss of appetite due to indigestion, talk to a healthcare provider.
5. Urine Changes
Pay attention to your urine: if there are changes in frequency, consistency, color, or volume, you may have a gallbladder infection. For instance, the bile pigment in gallstones can turn your urine dark brown-yellow.
Urine discoloration is one of the first signs of gallbladder disease and usually means there’s a blockage of the common bile duct. However, if you’re passing blood-colored urine, it may not be gallbladder disease. Instead, you may have a problem with your kidneys or bladder, which you should still get checked out.
6. Stool Changes
In addition to urine changes, people with gallbladder disease can also experience a change in their stool color and consistency. Gallbladder disease may cause your stool to appear yellow or clay-colored due to excess fats in the stool.
Moreover, the consistency changes, making your stools looser. If you have an explosive bowel movement that smells foul, you may have a gallbladder infection.
7. Fever
Gallbladder and bile duct infections may cause unexplained fever and chills in about one-third to one-half of patients. While gallbladder attacks may cause biliary colics, this symptom is not a byproduct of typical colics.
Instead, it happens as a result of a stone blocking the duct leading out of the organ, which causes an inflammation called cholecystitis. If you experience nausea, vomiting, and a fever, it’s time to seek immediate medical attention. The combination of all three symptoms can be life-threatening and cause perforation of the gallbladder.
8. Chest Pain
Since chest pain is a common symptom in both a gallbladder attack and a heart attack, it’s easy to mistake to confuse the two. One way to tell them apart is to notice when the chest pain occurs. For instance, if you experience pain after eating a rich meal, it usually means you have gallbladder disease.
Inflammation or blockage of the bile duct is what causes chest pain and even heartburn in gallbladder disease. To minimize the pain and heartburn, don’t lie down after eating. However, if you have to lie down, place a wedge-shaped pillow under your neck, chest, and upper abdomen to reduce the backward flow of acid from the stomach.
9. Jaundice
Gallbladder disease can lead to jaundice, a yellowing of the skin. This can happen due to biliary fluids getting clogged in the gallbladder or liver. As a result, bilirubin gets released into the bloodstream and causes jaundice.
In addition to affecting the color of your skin, jaundice can also affect your eyes and urine, turning the whites of your eyes yellow and your urine darker. Talk to your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.
10. Diarrhea
Finally, gallbladder attacks can cause explosive bowel movements and abdominal pain. The pain generally affects the entire abdominal region and may be infrequent. Some people can also feel a stabbing pain in their lower back, belly, or breastbone. Furthermore, if you notice any changes in your bowel movements regarding frequency, color, or consistency, then it’s time to talk to your doctor.
Common Risk Factors
In addition to recognizing gallbladder attack symptoms, it’s important to know what triggers these attacks. The following is an overview of some of the most common risk factors for gallbladder attacks.
Risk Factor #1: Foods
If you want to avoid a gallbladder attack, then it’s important that you avoid certain foods. These foods include those high in calories, animal protein and cholesterol, and refined carbohydrates. Instead, eat foods that are rich in dietary fiber, which can lower the risk of gallstone disease. Moreover, studies show that following a Mediterranean diet can significantly reduce the need to remove a gallbladder.
Risk Factor #2: Oral Estrogens
A 2005 study available in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that oral estrogens can lead to gallbladder disease. The increased risk is a result of higher cholesterol saturation in the bile, leading to gallstone formation. According to researchers, this can affect both men and women undergoing estrogen therapy. It can also affect women who use oral contraceptives.
Risk Factor #3: Obesity
Research shows that too much weight increases cholesterol in bile, causing gallstone formation. In addition, individuals with obesity tend to have enlarged gallbladders that don’t function effectively.
However, rapid weight loss isn’t the answer. In fact, by quickly losing weight, you can cause your liver to release more cholesterol and affect how your gallbladder empties. Other extreme forms of weight loss like surgeries and weight cycling (or yo-yo dieting) can also increase the risk of a gallstone attack. Instead, aim to lose 5% to 10% of your starting weight over a six-month period if you want to lower the risk of gallstone problems.
Risk Factor #4: Family History
Genetics may play a part in gallstone attacks, as studies suggest that the risk is higher in some people due to a gene mutation that’s responsible for the flow of cholesterol from the liver to the bile duct. Another factor that may be at play is protein defects, as this can cause people to be more susceptible to gallstones.
Some studies suggest that ethnicity also plays a role, as the rate of gallstone attacks is higher in Hispanic populations from Central and South America as well as Native Americans when compared to other racial groups. According to researchers, this may be due to a combination of genetic and dietary factors.
Risk Factor #5: Diabetes
According to mounting evidence, individuals with diabetes are at greater risk of developing gallbladder attacks and disease. Since people with diabetes are more likely to be overweight or obese, then it means they have elevated triglycerides that encourage gallstones.
Furthermore, endocrinologists believe that nerve damage associated with diabetes can prevent the gallbladder from efficiently releasing bile. Nevertheless, those with diabetes can lower their risk by managing their diabetes through lifestyle changes. Additionally, this can help with weight management and strengthen the digestive and nervous systems, which helps protect the body against gallstone development.
