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Gall Bladder & Lower Abdominal Pain

Gallstones can cause gallbladder and lower abdominal pain. Gallstones are formed from bile from your digestive fluid. The stones can range in size from a grain of rice to the size of a golf ball. If no discomfort or pain is felt in the gallbladder or lower stomach, no treatment will be needed but if pain arises there are ways to combat it.

  1. Symptoms

    • When gallstones lodge in a bile duct and cause a blockage, symptoms such as a pain in the stomach just below the breastbone can occur. Back pain between the shoulder blades or in the right shoulder can also be a symptom. This pain can last as little as 15 minutes to as long as four to five hours. Nausea may also occur. Seek professional help if you also experience fever and chills or a yellowing of the skin or eyes.

    Causes

    • There are different types of gallstones. The most common are cholesterol gallstones, which are formed when too much cholesterol is in your bile. Normally your bile can dissolve the cholesterol released from your liver, but when too much cholesterol has been released the bile cannot dissolve all of it and small crystals are formed, which eventually lead to stones. Another cause is your gallbladder doesn't empty effectively. Bile then becomes concentrated and forms gallstones.

    Diagnosis

    • A CT scan or an ultrasound will show images of the gallbladder and any gallstones. Your doctor may also want to perform a test using a special dye that magnifies your bile ducts in order to show any stones that may be causing blockage. Blood tests may also be administered to check for infection or jaundice.

    Treatment

    • Silent gallstones or those without symptoms need no treatment. Small gallstones may be treated with medication that dissolves the stone. Treatment is taken orally but the stone may take months or years to dissolve. This type of treatment only works on cholesterol gallstones. The most common treatment is to surgically remove the gallbladder. The bile from the liver is then passed directly into the small intestine. Your gallbladder is not needed and your ability to digest food is not compromised without it.

    Prevention/Solution

    • To prevent gallstones and the pain they cause limit your weight loss to a few pounds a week. Rapid weight loss increases your risk for gallstones. Don't skip meals and maintain a healthy weight. People who are overweight increase their risk of gallstones forming. Get into an exercise routine, as inactivity will also contribute to gallstone formation.

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