Do you have gallstones? Stomach pain following heavy meals? Sharp intense pain under the right ribs? Unexplained nausea and vomiting? Shoulder or back pain between your shoulder blades during a gallbladder attack? Yellowing of the eyes? If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms it is important to see a gastroenterologist as soon as possible.
Symptoms of a Gallbladder Attack
Sudden, severe abdominal pain. Located under the right ribcage or in the center upper abdomen.
Radiating pain that spreads to the right shoulder or back.
Pain triggered by food, often occurs after eating fatty or greasy foods. Possible nausea and vomiting.
Fever or chills can indicate potential infection or inflammation.
Jaundice, yellowing of the skin or white part of the eyes.
Dark urine or light-colored stools
If You Have Gallstones, You Are Not Alone
About twenty to twenty-five million people in the Untied States suffer from gallbladder dysfunction. Up to twenty percent of women and ten percent of men in the United States by the age of sixty years old get gallstone inflammation.
The gallbladder is the tiny sac under the liver that expels bile which digests fats as needed. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, or NIDDK, gallstones are made of crystalized bile, cholesterol, and bilirubin. They develop in the gallbladder. Gallstones can painfully block the duct into the intestine and create swelling.
These stones can be as small as a grain of sand and as large as a golf ball. Just imagine the pain that can cause. Proportionately, the abdominal pain will tend to match the size of the gallstone. Women are more likely to get gallstones, especially when their sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are changing.
Diagnosing patients with gallstones typically starts with a physical exam, blood tests, and an abdominal ultrasound.
An ultrasound is non-invasive, and painless. Using sound waves to detect any stones. Since the gallbladder is a hallow organ, so gallstones can show as solid masses in the gallbladder or bile duct. Doctors can take note of the size of the gallbladder, swelling of the gallbladder, and thickening of the walls.