Gallstones are Painful

Gall Bladder Disease is a Common Ailment

May 26, 2009 Cheryl La Rocque

Many people have gall stones, but they may not even know it.

If you are suffering from excruciating-stabbing pain in your mid-upper back and chest as well as radiating pain up your front right side you should consult your physician for a diagnosis of gall bladder disease. What many people may not be aware of is this excruciating pain comes and goes, but the pain will increase in frequency.

It can't be stressed enough - It is very important you consult with your family physician. He/she will send you for an ultrasound. An ultrasound is the most common diagnostic tool used to determine if you have gall bladder disease.

You may be surprised to learn you have gall stones in your gallbladder. Gall bladder disease is a common ailment affecting millions of people. In United States, an estimated over 20 million Americans have gall bladder disease.

Although this disease is most often found in women, it can occur in men as well. Heredity does play a role in determining who will suffer from gall bladder problems. Important factors which contribute to the onset of this disease include:

Diet.
Being overweight.
Age.

How Gall Bladder Stones Form and Types

The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ located beneath the liver. It's full of bile that squirts into the intestine to aid in digesting food. Gallstones form when there's too much cholesterol in your bile. This excess forms tiny hard crystal-like particles that can be as small as a grain of sand or can grow as large as an egg.

Cholesterol stones account for about 80 per cent of gallstones and are usually white or yellow in color. Pigment stones, accounting for the other 20 per cent of gallstones, are small, dark stones made of bilirubin and calcium salts that are found in bile.

Symptoms of gall bladder disease vary widely. In fact, some people have gall stones for years without any symptoms at all. But the most common symptoms include:

Discomfort or pain after eating, particularly if the meal is rich in fats. Range of discomfort is from mild to intense abdominal pain.
A gallstone attack may also cause pain in the back between the shoulder blades or in the right shoulder and may cause nausea or vomiting.
Attacks may be separated by weeks, months, or even years.

Once a true attack occurs, subsequent attacks are much more likely.

Common Complications of Gall Bladder Disease

Blockage of the cystic duct is a common complication caused by gallstones; Gallstones may make their way out of the gallbladder and into the cystic duct, the channel through which bile travels from the gallbladder to the small intestine. If stones become lodged in the cystic duct and block the flow of bile, they can cause cholecystitis, an inflammation of the gallbladder.

A less common, but more serious problem occurs if the gallstones become lodged in the bile ducts between the liver and the intestine, which can block bile flow from the gallbladder and liver, causing pain and jaundice.

Gallstones may also interfere with the flow of digestive fluids secreted from the pancreas into the small intestine, leading to pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas.

Prolonged blockage of any of these ducts can cause severe damage to the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas, which can be fatal. Warning signs include fever, jaundice, and persistent pain.

If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above don't delay, you should contact your physician as soon as possible.

The copyright of the article Gallstones are Painful in General Medicine is owned by Cheryl La Rocque. Permission to republish Gallstones are Painful in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.