The gallbladder is an organ located beneath the liver. It releases a fluid known as bile into the small intestine, where the bile helps to digest fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Produced in the liver, bile also plays a role in the elimination of wastes. The common bile duct connects the liver, the gallbladder and the small intestine, and most gallbladder or bile duct problems occur due to gallstones that enter the duct. Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 65 has gallstones, according to Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Approximately 80 percent of those with gallstones do not experience any symptoms.
Pain
When gallstones pass into the common bile duct, the cystic duct, or the ampulla of Vater, they may cause a painful symptom known as biliary colic. If the stones stay in the gallbladder, a person may never experience symptoms, but when they exit the gallbladder, the pain symptoms can be severe. When the gallstones block the duct, the gallbladder swells, and a condition known as cholecystitis may develop. This involves inflammation of the gallbladder, which also causes pain symptoms. Merck Manuals notes that more that 95 percent of those who develop acute cholecystitis have pre-existing gallstones, and practically all who develop the chronic form of cholecystitis have gallstones. The pain from gallstones usually occurs on the right side of the abdomen, beneath the ribs. The intensity of the pain symptoms increases during the first hour after onset, then may remain at a steady level for up to 12 hours.
Nausea, Vomiting and Fever
Nausea and vomiting may accompany the gallstone pain symptoms, notes Merck Manuals. Nausea is one of the common symptoms of chronic cholecystitis. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that acute cholecystitis symptoms include nausea and vomiting, and approximately 1/3 of those with this acute form of the disorder also experience fever and chills. Any person experiencing a combination of pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever and chills should seek immediate medical assistance, since acute cholecystitisa can lead to perforation of the gallbladder or gangrene.
Gas, Discomfort and Diarrhea
The most common symptoms of chronic cholecystitis include gas and abdominal discomfort following meals. Those symptoms may be mild, and indistinguishable from similar symptoms in those who do not have chronic gallbladder disease. A person may experience diarrhea symptoms, with up to 10 bowel movements per day over a period of over three months. Some people may produce stools that appear clay-colored. Light-colored stools or dark urine, or both, could indicate that stones have become stuck in the common bile duct. Symptoms of tumors of the gallbladder and bile ducts include abdominal discomfort, appetite loss and weight loss.
