Belly pain can happen for lots of reasons, from something as simple and relatively benign as occasional heartburn to a more serious condition that requires medical attention. But when your pain is sudden, severe, or persistent, that’s a sign your discomfort might not be from your stomach at all — it could be from your gallbladder.
Gallbladder attacks typically happen when gallstones block the normal flow of digestive juices — notably, bile — from your gallbladder. While some people have gallstones without ever experiencing symptoms, many others develop significant belly pain.
Recognizing the warning signs of a gallbladder problem can help you get medical treatment before serious complications develop. Our team at Desert West Surgery shows you five warning signs to watch for.
One of the hallmark signs of a gallbladder attack is sudden. intense pain in your upper belly, especially on your right side.
Pain can vary from one person to another and even from one episode to another, sometimes feeling like a sharp, stabbing pain or a pinch, and other times like heavy pressure or a steady, dull ache.
Gallbladder pain tends to be more common after meals, especially those that include high-fat foods. Discomfort can last for a few minutes to several hours, and, in most cases, pain isn’t affected by medicines used to treat regular indigestion.
Like all your organs, your gallbladder is connected to your brain via nerve pathways. These pathways are also shared by other parts of your body, including your shoulders and upper back.
During a gallbladder attack, these nerves are activated, and pain can be felt anywhere along that nerve pathway — most commonly in your upper back or right shoulder.
As a result, you might not immediately realize your painful symptoms are related to your gallbladder, leading to potential delays in treatment.
Nausea, vomiting, and stomach discomfort may be most commonly associated with an upset stomach or even the flu, but a gallbladder problem can also cause these symptoms.
Nausea typically occurs when digestion is disrupted, leading to uncomfortable feelings of fullness that, in turn, trigger a nausea response. Inflammation and nerve signalling can play roles, too.
Everyone has gas and bloating from time to time, especially after eating foods high in fiber or other gas-causing ingredients. If you have a gallbladder problem, though, gas becomes more common, usually accompanied by uncomfortable bloating.
Gas and bloating happen when your gallbladder doesn’t release enough bile to effectively break down fats during digestion.
The resulting malabsorption causes undigested food to remain in your intestines, where natural gut bacteria ferment and produce excess gas. Symptoms tend to be worse following heavy, greasy, or high-fat meals.
Fever and chills usually occur when your gallbladder problem enters a more serious stage. These symptoms should never be ignored — in fact, they require immediate medical attention.
Yellowing of your skin and eyes (a condition called jaundice) can happen when your bile duct is completely blocked, and yellowish bile byproducts build up in your tissues, another symptom requiring urgent medical attention.
Gallbladder issues don’t go away on their own and frequently become worse over time. Many issues require surgery to correct, but the good news is, most procedures use minimally invasive techniques for less discomfort and a faster recovery.
If you’re having any of the symptoms described here or have stomach pain that keeps coming back, it’s time to find the root cause so it can be corrected. To schedule your digestive health evaluation, call Desert West Surgery and schedule a visit at the Las Vegas location nearest you.
