What Are The Symptoms Of Gallstones?

Pain After Eating Foods High In Fat

Patients with gallstones might experience pain after eating foods high in fat. The pain typically centers in the abdomen and can range from mild discomfort to severe stabbing or cramping. There are other circumstances in which this pain might be caused by a less serious condition, like irritable bowel syndrome or acid reflux. On the other hand, if gallstones aren't the underlying cause, the abdominal pain might be caused by pancreatic issues or inflammatory bowel disease. The purpose of the gallbladder is to store bile, which is used to help the body digest fats. When high-fat foods enter the stomach, the gallbladder squeezes bile into the intestines to help with digestion. When a gallstone blocks the bile ducts, the bile cannot escape the gallbladder, which leads to a condition called biliary colic. Also called a gallbladder attack, this reaction causes intense pain in the upper right abdomen due to the repeated contracting of the gallbladder. If the pain worsens with time or lasts for over six hours, patients might have acute gallbladder inflammation, which requires emergency medical treatment.

Appetite Loss

Gallstones can cause the gallbladder's bile ducts to become blocked, and to remove the blockage, the gallbladder will repeatedly contract, leading to pain. This pain can result in a reduction in appetite loss. The pain and appetite loss might last anywhere from fifteen minutes to several hours. When the pain lasts longer than six hours, it indicates a medical emergency. Loss of appetite might encompass a general lack of interest in food, a reduction in the amount of food eaten, or a sudden lack of interest in food that appears in response to pain. Patients with gallstones often also deal with bloating, nausea, and vomiting, all of which can also trigger appetite loss.