The gallbladder is a small organ located on the right side of the body underneath the liver. This muscular pouch stores bile from the liver and sends it to the small intestine where it is used in the digestion of fats. There are approximately 20.5 million people with gallbladder disease in the United States, nearly two thirds of them women, reports the Cleveland Clinic.
Abdominal Pain
The vast majority of people with gallbladder disease also have gallstones, according to Merck Manuals Medical Library. When a stone blocks the bile duct leading out of the gallbladder, bile flow is slowed or stopped. During a gallbladder attack people experience severe, persistent pain on the right side of the abdomen just under the rib cage. The pain may radiate to the upper back and right shoulder blade. These episodes of pain tend to come and go, and may last for hours or days depending on the type and extent of gallbladder disease.
Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting may accompany any type of gallbladder disease. Sometimes the nausea becomes chronic. Nausea and vomiting along with significant abdominal pain is reason to seek medical attention, as this could indicate a completely blocked bile duct. A stone in the duct can cause bile to back up and possibly lead to perforation or severe infection, according to the University of Maryland Medical center.
Fever and Chills
Sudden blockage of the bile duct with a stone produces inflammation of the gallbladder, called acute cholecystitis. This can lead to infection in about 20 percent of people, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. As the body attempts to fight the infection, fever and chills may develop. These symptoms can also occur with chronic gallbladder disease.
Jaundice
Gallstones that are lodged either at the opening of the bile duct, or within the bile duct, cause an obstruction to the flow of bile from the liver. A substance called bilirubin is then unable to pass from the liver through the biliary system and backs up into the blood stream, reports MedlinePlus.com. Bilirubin creates a yellow tinge to the whites of the eyes and skin, known as jaundice. Gallbladder conditions that can result in jaundice include gallstones and gallbladder tumors.
Itching
When gallbladder disease results in jaundice, the skin begins to itch. The precise reasons for the association between jaundice and itching are unclear.
