Identifying Gallbladder Problems and Symptoms :- 

What is the gallbladder?

Your gallbladder is a four-inch, pear-shaped organ. It’s positioned under your liver in the upper-right section of your abdomen. The gallbladder stores bile, a combination of fluids, fat, and cholesterol. Bile helps break down fat from food in your intestine. The gallbladder delivers bile into the small intestine. This allows fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients to be more easily absorbed into the bloodstream.

Symptoms of a gallbladder problem

Gallbladder conditions share similar symptoms. These include:

Pain: The most common symptom of a gallbladder problem is pain. This pain usually occurs in the mid- to upper-right section of your abdomen. It can be mild and intermittent, or it can be quite severe and frequent. In some cases, the pain can begin to radiate to other areas of the body, including the back and chest.

Nausea or vomiting: Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of all types of gallbladder problems. But only chronic gallbladder disease may cause digestive problems, such as acid reflux, gas, nausea, and vomiting.

Fever or chills: An unexplained fever may signal that you have an infection. If you have an infection, you need treatment before it worsens and becomes dangerous. The infection can become life-threatening if it spreads to other parts of the body.

Chronic diarrhea: Having more than four bowel movements per day for at least three months may be a sign of chronic gallbladder disease.

Jaundice: Yellow-tinted skin may be a sign of a common bile duct block or stone.

Unusual stools or urine: Lighter-colored stools and dark urine are possible signs of a common bile duct block.

PROBLEMS

Potential gallbladder problems

Any disease that affects your gallbladder is considered a gallbladder disease. The following conditions are all gallbladder diseases.

Inflammation of the gallbladder

Inflammation of the gallbladder is called cholecystitis. It can be either acute (short-term), or chronic(long-term). Chronic inflammation is the result of several acute cholecystitis attacks. Inflammation may eventually damage the gallbladder, making it lose its ability to function correctly.

Gallstones

Gallstones are small, hardened deposits that form in the gallbladder. These deposits can develop and go undetected for years. In fact, many people have gallstones and aren’t aware of them. They eventually cause problems, including inflammation, infection, and pain. Gallstones typically cause short-term cholecystitis.

Gallstones are usually very small, no more than a few millimeters wide. But they can grow to several centimeters. Some people develop only one gallstone, while others develop several. As the gallstones grow in size, they can begin to block the channels that lead out of the gallbladder.

Most gallstones are formed from cholesterol found in the gallbladder’s bile. Another type of gallstone, a pigment stone, is formed from calcium bilirubinate. Calcium bilirubinate is a chemical that’s produced when your body breaks down red blood cells. This type of stone is more rare.

Common bile duct stones (choledocholithiasis)

Gallstones can occur in the common bile duct. The common bile duct is the channel that leads from the gallbladder to the small intestine. Bile is ejected from the gallbladder, passed through small tubes, and deposited in the common bile duct. It’s then ushered into the small intestine.

In most cases, common bile duct stones are actually gallstones that developed in the gallbladder and then passed into the bile duct. This type of stone is called a secondary common bile duct stone, or secondary stone.

Sometimes stones form in the common bile duct itself. These stones are called primary common bile duct stones, or primary stones. This rare type of stone is more likely to cause an infection than a secondary stone.

Gallbladder disease without stones

Gallstones don’t cause every type of gallbladder problem. Gallbladder disease without stones, also called acalculous gallbladder disease, can occur. In this case, you may experience symptoms commonly associated with gallstones without actually having stones.

Common bile duct infection

An infection may develop if the common bile duct is obstructed. Treatment for this condition is successful if the infection is found early. If it’s not, the infection may spread and become fatal.

Abscess of the gallbladder

A small percentage of people with gallstones may also develop pus in the gallbladder. This condition is called empyema. Pus is a combination of white blood cells, bacteria, and dead tissue. The development of pus leads to severe abdominal pain. If the condition isn’t diagnosed and treated, it can become life-threatening as the infection spreads to other parts of the body.

Gallstone ileus

A gallstone may travel into the intestine and block it. This condition is rare but can be fatal. It’s most common among individuals who are older than 65.

Perforated gallbladder

If you wait too long to seek treatment, gallstones can lead to a perforated gallbladder. This is a life-threatening condition. If the tear isn’t detected, a dangerous, widespread abdominal infection may develop.

Gallbladder polyps

Polyps are growths that develop. These growths are typically benign, or noncancerous. Small gallbladder polyps may not need to be removed. In most cases, they don’t pose any risk to you or your gallbladder. But larger polyps may need to be surgically removed before they develop into cancer or cause other problems.

Porcelain gallbladders

A healthy gallbladder has very muscular walls. Over time, calcium deposits can stiffen the gallbladder walls, making them rigid. This condition is called porcelain gallbladder. People with this condition have a high risk of developing gallbladder cancer.

Gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer is rare. If it’s not detected and treated, it can spread beyond the gallbladder quickly.

Gallbladder Tests

• Abdominal ultrasound: a noninvasive test in which a probe on the skin bounces high-frequency sound waves off structures in the belly. Ultrasound is an excellent test for gallstones and to check the gallbladder wall.
• HIDA scan (cholescintigraphy): In this nuclear medicine test, radioactive dye is injected intravenously and is secreted into the bile. Cholecystitis is likely if the scan shows bile doesn’t make it from the liver into the gallbladder.
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): Using a flexible tube inserted through the mouth, through the stomach, and into the small intestine, a doctor can see through the tube and inject dye into the bile system ducts. Tiny surgical tools can be used to treat some gallstone conditions during ERCP.
• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP): An MRI scanner provides high-resolution images of the bile ducts, pancreas, and gallbladder. MRCP images help guide further tests and treatments.
• Endoscopic ultrasound: A tiny ultrasound probe on the end of a flexible tube is inserted through the mouth to the intestines. Endoscopic ultrasound can help detect choledocholithiasis and gallstone pancreatitis.
• Abdominal X-ray: Although they may be used to look for other problems in the abdomen, X-rays generally cannot diagnose gallbladder disease. However, X-rays may be able to detect gallstones.

OUTLOOK

Understanding gallbladder problems

Symptoms of a gallbladder problem may come and go. However, you’re more likely to develop a gallbladder problem if you’ve had one before.

While gallbladder problems are rarely deadly, they should still be treated. You can prevent gallbladder problems from worsening if you take action and see a doctor.

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