Your gallbladder helps your body digest vitamins and fats by releasing a greenish fluid known as bile. When something’s off within the organ, leading it to function poorly, you’re likely to experience gallbladder pain.
Such pain can be debilitating, especially over time. Thankfully, it’s usually quite treatable.
Dr. Sreelatha Reddy and our team at Houston Gastrointestinal & Liver Clinic, P.A. in Sugar Land, Texas, diagnose and treat gallbladder issues to reduce your pain and improve your quality of life. Take a moment to learn more about gallbladder pain, including what to do once it strikes.
Causes of gallbladder pain
The most common cause of gallbladder pain is gallstones, and gallstones are the primary symptoms of gallbladder disease. Gallstones form when bile clumps together in masses as small as a speck or as large as a golf ball.
As they grow, larger gallstones can keep bile from flowing normally. This can result in a gallbladder attack, which causes sudden pain in your upper right abdomen.
Other potential causes of gallbladder pain include:
- Bile duct scars, which can build up and block the flow of bile from your gallbladders
- Gallbladder abscess, or an infection caused by bile buildups
- Gallbladder inflammation, from injury, illness, or infections
- Perforated gallbladder, when gallstones gradually wear a hole in your organ wallss
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis, a liver disease that damages your bile ductss
- Gallbladder cancer, when cancerous cells form in your gallbladder, can also result in pain.s
What to do about gallbladder pain
If you’re experiencing gallbladder pain, whether it’s relatively mild or severe, Dr. Reddy and our team can help. It’s especially important to seek medical care if you notice:
- Belly pain that lasts for many hours
- Chills or a fever
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Urine or stool that’s darker or lighter than usual
- Yellowish eyes or skin
All of these symptoms may indicate a problem in your bile ducts, such as gallbladder disease.
Your treatment for gallbladder pain depends on the underlying cause. For an obstructed bile duct, we may recommend an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
During this procedure, your provider inserts a thin tube and small instruments through the mouth to remove the problematic stone. Other treatments may include medications that slowly dissolve gallstones and lifestyle changes.
Preventing gallbladder pain
If you’re prone to gallbladder pain or wish to prevent it in the first place, shifting your lifestyle can go a long way. Helpful dietary steps include:
- Eating plenty of fiber
- Limiting added sugars
- Limiting fatty meats and dairy products
- Emphasizing healthy fats, like nuts and fish
Exercising regularly, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking most days, and maintaining a healthy body weight may also help.
To learn more about gallbladder pain or to get the care you need, call Houston Gastrointestinal & Liver Clinic, P.A. today or request an appointment online.
