How to Know If You Are Having a Gallstone Attack
If you are one of the "five F's"---fair, fat, 40, female and fertile---you are more prone to gallbladder disease than other people, according to Dr. Ronald Hoffman, a syndicated radio personality. Moreover, if you fit into all these categories and experience chest pain in your right side, you may be having a gallstone attack. But pain alone is not enough to determine if you are having an attack. According to GallbladderAttack.com, there are additional telltale symptoms.
Instructions
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Assess if you are having nausea along with chest pains. You may also vomit, have flatulence or experience a bloated feeling in your stomach and chest.
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Determine if you are tender. The gallbladder is located just below the rib cage on the stomach's right-hand side. Abdominal pain is a chief sign, so if this area is painful to touch, this could signal a gallstone attack.
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Attempt to walk without bending over. One of the most common symptoms is pain from the back shoulder blade to the right side that can make you double over in pain. This discomfort may be constant or intermittent and may be severe or mild. It usually occurs at night.
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Time your attack. Gallbladder attacks usually last between one and four hours.
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Notice the effects of food. People with gallbladder disease cannot tolerate fatty or greasy foods, and gallstone attacks often follow fatty meals.
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Note if a bitter fluid comes up after a meal, in a sort of reflex action.
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Assess the location of any headache you experience. Headaches at night located over the eyes are a symptom of gallbladder disease and could signal an attack.
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Be aware of your bowel movements, as chronic constipation is a symptom.
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Tips & Warnings
Find out your family's history. If gallbladder disease runs in your family, you are more likely to have it.
See your physician for an accurate diagnosis of your symptoms.
Rapid weight loss can actually lead to the formation of gallstones, according to Dr. Hoffman.
