The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that rests in a depression on the bottom of the liver. The gallbladder collects and stores bile from the liver. When fat is present in the digestive system, the gallbladder releases bile through passageways called ducts to aid in digestion. Any process that blocks these bile ducts will cause inflammation in the gallbladder, leading to pain. This is commonly referred to as a gallbladder attack.
Pain
Scott and White Hospital explains that abdominal pain is the primary symptom of a gallbladder attack. The pain is usually located in the right upper part of the abdomen. The pain may radiate or spread to the back and below the right shoulder blade. Patients may describe the pain as sharp or dull, or as a spasm that comes and goes. This symptom of a gallbladder attack occurs after eating, especially after eating fatty foods.
Abdominal Fullness
A feeling of abdominal fullness may be reported by a person experiencing a gallbladder attack. This is because the gallbladder may be inflamed or swollen. The enlarged gallbladder puts pressure on surrounding structures and tissues, causing discomfort.
Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of a gallbladder attack. Donna D. Ignatavicius, MS RN, and M. Linda Workman, Ph.D, authors of "Medical-Surgical Nursing: Critical Thinking for Collaborative Care," explain that the pain from a gallbladder attack is severe and may cause nausea and vomiting. Also, when the gallbladder becomes inflamed and bile cannot be properly secreted from the organ, digestion is impaired, which leads to nausea and vomiting.
Jaundice
The gallbladder receives bile from the liver. In a gallbladder attack, the ducts that drain bile from the liver to the gallbladder may become obstructed. This causes a back up of bile in the liver. The result is high bilirubin levels in the blood, which cause jaundice. Jaundice is yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes.
Clay-colored Stool
A lack of bile affects the color of stool. Bowel movements will be pale and clay colored. This symptom of a gallbladder attack usually takes a couple of days to appear.
Fever
A person having a gallbladder attack may start to run a fever, especially if the gallbladder is very inflamed and remains that way for a while. Fever can indicate infection, so if you develop fever you should see a doctor.
