The complexity of the digestive tract and all of its functions can result in a number of different problems when things go wrong. Symptoms like bloating, gas and nausea can be caused from simple things like the food you eat to more severe causes such as infection. Greasy foods are one such culprit of stomach pain, especially when associated with gallbladder complications.
Gallbladder Function
The gallbladder is a small muscular sac that sits just below the liver in the upper right area of your abdomen. It functions as a holding area for the bile that is constantly being produced by the liver. After you eat a meal high in fat, a mechanism is triggered causing the gallbladder to rhythmically contract and force bile into your small intestine. According to "Structure and Function of the Body," bile acts by breaking up or emulsifying fats to increase the surface area for digestion. Once the fats have been emulsified, your intestines absorbs them along with the components of bile called bile salts. These bile salts are then re-circulated to the liver to make more bile through a cycle known as the Enterohepatic circulation. This cycle is 95 percent efficient in reabsorbing bile components.
Gallstones
Formation of gallstones, also called cholelithiasis is associated with stomach pain after eating greasy food. It is the result of excessive bile salts, cholesterol, or a byproduct called bilirubin. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 80 percent of gallstones are made up of tiny pebble-like formations of hardened cholesterol. The buildup of excess cholesterol is caused in part by the efficiency of the Enterohepatic circulation to reabsorb bile salts and the addition of eating foods high in cholesterol. Cholesterol stones can either grow in size or cause multiple smaller stones. Eventually, the rhythmic contraction of the gallbladder to force out bile after a high-fat meal is halted by the stone lodging into the duct between the gallbladder and small intestine.
Biliary Sludge
Biliary sludge is another condition associated with stomach pain after eating greasy food. According to the "Annals of Internal Medicine," biliary sludge is the thickened mixture of bile components after the solids separate from the liquid form. Just like soup that thickens as water is slowly cooked out of it, this mud-like substance inhibits the forceful contraction of the bile into the small intestine.
Helpful Symptoms
Indications that you may have a gallbladder disorder include both non-specific and specific symptoms. Non-specific symptoms include nausea, vomiting, indigestion, bloating and belching following a meal high in fat. A low-grade fever can accompany these symptoms if the gallbladder has become infected. Chances are high that you have had these symptoms before with less severity.
According to eMedicine, symptoms more specific to gallbladder disorders include colicky pain located in the right upper area of your abdomen with possible associated pain in the right shoulder, lasting 1 to 5 hours. The colicky nature of the pain is due to the rhythmic contractions against a blocked duct.
Seek Medical Attention
If you experience any of the symptoms described above, you should seek medical attention immediately. Complications of gallbladder disorders include an inflammation of the gallbladder, called cholecystitis, or a blockage of the common bile duct leading to problems with the liver and pancreas. According to "The Merck Manual," delaying treatment may result in an abscess, gangrene or perforation of the gallbladder. Pain in the right upper area of your abdomen with an associated fever of 100 degrees or more are strong indicators of cholecystitis. Surgical removal of the gallbladder is the usual course of action, and can usually be done using a technique that uses small flexible tubes inserted through your abdomen called laparoscopy.
References
- "Structure and Function of the Body"; Gary Thibodeuau, PhD, Kevin Patton, PhD; 1997
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Gallstones
- Annals of Internal Medicine: Biliary Sludge
- eMedicine: Cholecystitis and Biliary Colic
- The Merck Manual: Cholecystitis
