The very mention of a gallbladder attack can be outright frightening. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped sac located under the liver that functions to stores bile (a liquid that aids in digestion of fatty foods). If one of the bile ducts – tubes transporting bile from the liver to the gallbladder and further to the digestive tract–gets blocked or infected, an individual will experience painful inflammation and may need to seek medical attention. Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis) can also occur in the absence of gallstones.
The presence of hard deposits known as a gallstones can form in the gallbladder or cystic duct (the bile tube extending towards the small intestine) and cause pain during a gallbladder attack. Gallstones may be composed of a variable mix of cholesterol, bilirubin, and calcium. While most individuals with gallstones don’t experience symptoms, the stones may cause inflammation or block the cystic duct. Bile can also become clogged within the gallbladder, as well as the ducts, resulting in the same symptoms listed above.
A gallbladder attack may happen suddenly and without warning. Pain from the attack is often severe, and in some cases requires immediate hospitalization. Having patience and being able to recognize the symptoms is an important step in dealing with a gallbladder attack.
1. Abdominal Pain
A typical warning sign associated with a gallbladder attack is severe abdominal pain, also known as biliary colic. An intensifying pain in the upper portion of your belly region below the breastbone is a common indication of a gallbladder attack. Pain can last anywhere between one to five hours, and remains constant regardless of urinating or passing gas. Pain is often triggered by the intake of fatty foods and can occur at any point of time, even while sleeping. Episodes of biliary colic are quite infrequent; after one painful attack, it may be another few months before another reoccurs.