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The Cause of Your Pain
Gallbladder problems can cause many distressing symptoms. You may have felt severe stomach pain, shoulder pain, back pain, pain under your breastbone, heartburn, or an upset stomach. Symptoms may have started sometime after a meal. This may have been the first attack. Or you may have had other attacks in the past. Now your doctor may be saying your pain is due to gallstones. These are linked to a diseased gallbladder. Because your symptoms ore likely to worsen if not treated, you should think about the options for relieving your pain.
Who Develops Gallbladder Problems?
No one knows for sure why some people have gallbladder problems. These problems may be related to how the body handles cholesterol. Or problems may result from an infected gallbladder. People more likely to have gallstones include:
- Women, often in their 40s.
- Women who have been pregnant.
- Men and women who are overweight. (But losing weight too quickly may increase the risk of forming stones.)
- Parents, siblings, and children of people with gallbladder problems.
Certain Foods Can Make Your Problems Worse
If you have gallbladder problems, it's best to avoid fatty or spicy foods. Eating these can trigger pain or other symptoms. So before your gallbladder problems are treated, stay away from fried foods, oils, high-fat dairy products, and spicy or peppery meals.
Diagnostic Tests
Your doctor may suggest one or more of these tests:
- Ultrasound uses painless sound waves to scan your abdomen for gallstones.
- Blood tests can suggest stones in your bile duct.
- Imaging tests such as CT (computerized topography), a HIDA (hepatobiliary) scan, an oral cholecystogram, or an ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) can produce images of your gallbladder.
Treatment Plan
You can live a healthy life without your gallbladder. So your doctor may suggest surgery to remove it. You and your doctor will discuss your options, including risks and complications of surgery. Many people can have laparoscopic cholecystectomy instead of open surgery. But it may not be right for you if:
- You have major scarring from a past surgery.
- You have any bleeding disorders.
- You are pregnant and near your due date.
- You have a condition that will make it hard for your doctor to see with the laparoscope.
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