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Signs & Symptoms of Diseased Gall Bladder

The gall bladder is a small, sack-like organ that is responsible for storing bile (an alkaline fluid the liver secretes to aid digestion). But the gall bladder is a non-essential organ and could require removal if infected. Two main diseases of the gall bladder can occur: cholelithiasis (gallstones) and cholecystitis (gall-bladder inflammation). Symptoms of these conditions include abdominal pain, pain after eating, jaundice and fever.

  1. Abdominal Pain

    • The majority of pain associated with a diseased gall bladder occurs in the middle or upper regions of the abdomen, or right below the rib cage. In both cases, according to NetDoctor.co.uk, the pain will occur predominately on the right side of the body, and it could spread up to the right shoulder or around to the back and spinal column. Abdominal pain from a diseased gall bladder often will occur in episodes or attacks, which can last from a few minutes to a few hours. According to NetDoctor, it might be hard to distinguish gall-bladder issues from other causes of abdominal pain, such as back problems, gastric ulcers and kidney stones.

    Pain After Eating

    • Although abdominal pain can occur sporadically when you have a diseased gall bladder, it also can be triggered directly. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, eating fatty foods, such as cheese, butter, chocolate, cake and pastries, can induce pain attacks, as they require more bile production for your body to break them down. When your gall bladder is not functioning properly, the bile builds up, which produces the discomfort. In addition to pain, you also might feel bloated.

    Jaundice

    • Jaundice occurs when the flow of bile from the liver into the gall bladder becomes blocked, which commonly occurs as the result of gallstones (although tumors also can produce blockage). According to MayoClinic.com, the condition is characterized by a progressive yellow discoloration of the whites of the eyes and skin, but it also can include other symptoms, such as itchy skin, dark-colored urine and pale-colored bowel movements.

    Fever

    • Other signs and symptoms of a diseased gall bladder include those that are commonly associated with fevers, such as a high body temperature, chills and shakes, nausea and vomiting. Loss of appetite also might occur. According to NetDoctor, feverish symptoms, in addition to one or more other symptoms, might be indicative of an infection spreading through the bile-duct system, which connects the liver to the gall bladder.

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