Can the gall bladder hurt and how does it manifest? We will give the answer to the question in the presented article. In addition, you will learn about why there is an inflammatory process in the gallbladder and how to treat such a pathological condition.
general information
Fortunately, not everyone knows how gall bladder hurts. After all, such a deviation is characterized by rather unpleasant signs that can be eliminated only by drinking an anesthetic antispasmodic drug.
Before you talk about why the gallbladder hurts, you should find out what this organ is.
As you know, the gallbladder enters the digestive system. It is located directly under the liver and connects to it with the bile ducts. This organ has a small size (approximately with the thumb of a person) and a shape resembling a small hollow pear. The main role that the gallbladder plays is the accumulation, as well as the excretion of a special fluid that is produced by the liver. It should be especially noted that it is extremely necessary for the absorption of fats and the movement of food through the intestines. Within 2 full days, approximately 2 liters of bile can be produced in the liver of an adult.
How does the gall bladder hurt? Symptoms of deviation (general)
The main symptom of a disease of such a digestive organ is palpation of its increased size. In addition, people who have a similar deviation often complain of constant and rather severe pain in the right hypochondrium. By the way, often such unpleasant sensations spread to the back, lower back, right shoulder blade and shoulder.
It should also be noted that where the gall bladder hurts, a person may experience special tension in muscle tissue (in the upper abdomen).
At an early stage of development of this deviation, the discomfort is usually paroxysmal. With coughing, increased and deep breathing, as well as a change in body position, they can be significantly enhanced.
Now you know how the gall bladder hurts. Symptoms of such a deviation can both be continuous, and last only for several hours. In addition, patients often experience nausea, followed by vomiting, which does not bring any relief. If the patient has a malfunction of the said organ, then his body temperature may rise, dry mouth may appear, as well as a palpitations.
If the gallbladder hurts (the symptoms were presented above), then you should immediately consult a doctor. The latter is required to conduct an examination and prescribe treatment that will alleviate the patient’s condition and eliminate the inflammatory process.
Why does the gall bladder hurt?
There are many reasons why this organ is very sore. The main ones are the following:
- inflammatory processes (the so-called cholecystitis);
- metabolic diseases (gallstone disease) ;
- functional causes without inflammatory processes, but with impaired motility of the digestive organ (i.e. dyskinesia).
We consider all the presented deviations in more detail.
Chronic and acute cholecystitis
Such a disease is characterized by inflammation of the gallbladder (chronic or acute), which is accompanied by impaired biliary functions. How does the gall bladder hurt in this case? The following symptoms are characteristic of the presented deviation: aching pain and discomfort in the region of the right hypochondrium. As a rule, such discomfort lasts quite a long time and brings a lot of inconvenience to the patient. Most often, pain intensifies after eating fatty and fried foods, as well as eggs, snacks, sodas and alcoholic beverages. Such a meal causes the patient nausea, belching with bitterness or air, a bitter taste and dry mouth.
Cholelithiasis
If the patient has an metabolic disease, then how does the gall bladder hurt? Symptoms of this deviation can spread throughout the abdominal cavity, and then concentrate in the right hypochondrium. As a rule, the patient at the same time feels a strong feeling of nausea, which leads to vomiting. Moreover, with cholelithiasis, patients often have constipation.
As you know, the formation of stones is characteristic of such a deviation. Most often this happens as a result of metabolic disturbances. Currently, several groups of stones are distinguished, which differ in chemical composition: pigmented, purely cholesterol, purely calcareous and mixed (that is, lime-cholesterol-pigmented). To diagnose this disease, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound examination of the presented organ.
Biliary dyskinesia
“My gallbladder hurts. What to do?" - This question is often asked by gastroenterologists. After all, tolerating the symptoms that accompany this deviation is not only impossible, but also dangerous to health.
Biliary dyskinesia is a disease of the digestive organ, which is characterized by a violation of its motor activity. Due to this deviation, the process of entering bile into the 12-tipertal intestine may be impaired. In medical practice, there are two main types of pathology presented:
- hypotonic, that is, the motor activity of the organ is significantly reduced;
- hypertonic, that is, motor activity is increased.
To identify such a deviation, you should definitely consult a therapist and tell him about how the gall bladder hurts. Symptoms of this disease can occur as follows:
- With the hypotonic type - dull and aching pain in the region of the right hypochondrium, as well as a feeling of fullness. In addition, the patient may experience loss of appetite, belching, bitterness in the mouth, nausea and bloating. If you do not treat a functional disease of the biliary tract in time, then this can lead to the formation of stones in the bladder.
- With the hypertensive type - acute, short and paroxysmal pain in the region of the right hypochondrium. Quite often, such sensations are associated with excessive physical exertion, as well as the intake of excessively fatty foods.
How to treat gallbladder disease?
An experienced gastroenterologist is the one who can help you if your gallbladder is very sore. Treatment of this organ is prescribed only after a personal examination of the patient by a doctor. By the way, to make a more accurate diagnosis, the doctor can recommend the patient to undergo an ultrasound scan. Using this method, you can easily detect the presence or, conversely, the absence of stones in the gallbladder, its inflammation, an increase in size, etc.
After diagnosis, the doctor must prescribe an effective treatment that will not only save the patient from unpleasant symptoms, but also eliminate the inflammatory process that develops in this organ.
It should be noted that the treatment of cholecystitis (acute or chronic) is carried out only under the supervision of a gastroenterologist. The first thing that a specialist prescribes is a strict diet. The patient is forbidden to eat fatty and fried foods, as well as fresh bakery and confectionery products, including chocolates, cakes, etc. In addition, the patient is not recommended to drink alcoholic and carbonated drinks. Also, from his diet, the patient should exclude spicy and spicy dishes, including fresh garlic, onions and peppers.
In addition to the diet, people with gallbladder diseases are prescribed antiparasitic and antibacterial agents. To eliminate the pain syndrome, which brings great discomfort to the patient, doctors prescribe antispasmodics. If it is necessary to improve the outflow of bile, then choleretic medicines are used.
According to special indications that the attending physician is obliged to consider in each individual case, various means and enzymes that normalize the motility of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract can be prescribed to the patient.
After the period of exacerbation subsides, you should go to physiotherapy and treatment with mineral waters.
Surgical intervention
If, as a result of therapeutic treatment, it was not possible to alleviate the patient's condition, then doctors resort to surgical intervention. By the way, an operation to remove the gallbladder is also carried out if calculous cholecystitis occurs (with the formation of stones). Excision of this organ can be carried out in a classical way with the help of abdominal intervention or with a less traumatic method (laparoscopy).
It's important to know
In case of untimely and improper treatment of gallbladder diseases, the patient may develop quite serious complications in the form of a violation of the outflow of bile, infection of the internal contents, purulent inflammation of the walls of the organ, bile fistula and subhepatic abscesses.
Useful Tips
If the gall bladder began to hurt suddenly and you do not have the opportunity to visit the hospital, it is recommended to refuse to use any food and take an anesthetic. Tea based on such medicinal plants as marigold flowers, pharmacy chamomile, columns with stigmas of corn, sand immortelle, common tansy, peppermint leaves, dandelion roots, as well as bitter wormwood, large celandine and ordinary fennel will help alleviate the condition of tea .
If unpleasant sensations arose at night, then to alleviate the condition, you can lie on the left side of the body and apply light blows to the right side. This method will release part of the bile from the bladder, which will partially contribute to the elimination of pain.