How to Recognize Gallbladder Disease

The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ located on the underside of the liver. It produces bile which is used primarily in the digestion of fats. Gallbladder disease affects many people and causes pain and discomfort more than anything else. The gallbladder is a non-vital organ.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Gallbladder disease affects many people, mainly women though. Risk factors include obesity, use of estrogen or contraceptive pills, relatives with gallbladder disease, high cholesterol, Crohn's disease as well as ulcerative colitis.
   
   Symptoms of gallbladder disease include pain behind/between the right shoulder blade, pain in the abdomen-specifically the middle upper abdomen or below the right rib cage, pain which becomes worse over an hour then stays the same, pain associated with nausea, gas (wind)and possible vomiting. The pain can last from minutes to a few hours.

2. The main problem of the gallbladder is gallstones. Not all gallstones cause pain or are bothersome. When gallstones do cause problems they usually do so in one of three ways.
   
   Chronic cholecystitis (biliary colic) is a chronic disorder with the symptoms listed above. This can be controlled by various means which I will discuss below with regard to treatment.
   
   Acute cholecystitis requires immediate medical help. This is characterized by a fever persisting for more than 12 hours, severe pain in the upper abdomen on the right side and becomes worse, specifically when coughing. In cases of acute cholecystitis antibiotics will be used as a primary intervention but if not successful gallbladder removal may be the only option. Not all people with acute cholecystitis have gallstones.
   
   Finally there is jaundice. This is usually accompanied by the same symptoms of acute cholecystitis and is caused by a blockage of the bile flow from the liver. Jaundice may be caused by other health issues not related to the gallbladder and usually liver related. Jaundice is characterized by a yellow tint to the whites of the eyes and skin, pale urine and bowel movements and may also be associated with generalized pruritis (itching). Any associated fever, chills or shaking are serious symptoms that should be treated by a doctor immediately as these can be symptoms of severe infection of the bile duct system.

3. For gallstones and chronic cholecystitis, mild pain can usually be controlled with pain medication on an as needed basis. The symptoms can often be avoided by simply moderating the diet to exclude fatty foods. For more severe cases laproscopic surgery to remove the stones, or complete gallbladder removal are the most common options. There are many alternative remedies and most of these are unproven. Among these are so-called "gallbladder cleanses" consisting of fasting and lemon/olive oil concoctions. For the most part what you are told is gallstones coming out turn out to be nothing more than congealed olive oil.
   
   If you must have your gallbladder removed there is no real risk other than scarring. Functionally you should be able to live a perfectly normal life.