Cholecystitis, the medical term for a condition where your gallbladder is inflamed, is a very painful condition. Your gallbladder is a small and somewhat important organ that stores bile and helps you digest food. Cholecystitis happens when the bile in your gallbladder, which is acidic, gets trapped and can’t travel to the small intestine to aid in digestion. When this happens, your gallbladder becomes swollen, inflamed, and red, resulting in cholecystitis.
In addition to being very painful, cholecystitis can also be dangerous if you leave the condition untreated. Long-term cholecystitis can lead to additional infections, indigestion, or even a ruptured gallbladder. For that reason, it’s important to note the signs and symptoms of cholecystitis so that you can seek immediate treatment.
The main symptom associated with cholecystitis is extreme pain in the abdomen and digestive area. However, there are many conditions that can cause a stomachache, so it’s important to look for other symptoms more specific to cholecystitis, such as the following.
When you experience abdominal pain in conjunction with several of these other symptoms, there’s a good chance you have cholecystitis. If the symptoms go away, you have nothing to worry about. However, if they persist for more than a day, you should see your medical provider.
Cholecystitis happens anytime bile is unable to leave the gallbladder and travel to the small intestine. The gallbladder is just above the small intestine, and the two are connected by a small duct. Bile travels from the gallbladder to the intestine through this duct to aid in digestion.
However, it’s possible for the duct to get blocked or clogged, resulting in a build-up of bile in the gallbladder, which leads to an infection. Here are some of the ways this can happen.
Gallstones are tiny growths that develop in the gallbladder. These stones can then slip into the bile duct and block the flow of bile, resulting in a clog.
In the same way that gallstones can get into the bile duct and block the flow of bile, so can a tumour.
It’s also possible for you to have a gallbladder, liver, or small intestine infection that blocks your bile ducts.
While cholecystitis can happen to anyone, there are some who are at higher risk than others.
There are several ways your healthcare provider can diagnose cholecystitis. Typically, they begin with an examination and review of your physical symptoms. If they line up with the symptoms of cholecystitis, further testing is necessary. This could include the following.
Blood tests could signify an infection or issues with your gallbladder.
Imaging tests such as x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, and CT scans to look for bile duct blockages.
A hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan to visually track the flow of bile from the gallbladder to the small intestine.
Using one or more of these tests, your doctor should have no trouble determining whether or not you have cholecystitis.
Luckily, cholecystitis is a very treatable condition. As long as you catch it early enough, it rarely results in complications and serious health problems. Some of the treatment options include fasting to empty your stomach, medications to fight the infection, pain medication, IV therapy, and more. In severe cases, you may require surgery to remove your gallbladder if your doctor determines that you’re at risk for serious complications.