Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentPreventionWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFAQ
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Prevention
When to See a Healthcare Provider
FAQ
Gallbladder pain is often felt in the right upper belly, under the ribs. It can also spread (radiate) to the lower chest or your right shoulder blade and may be confused with a heart attack.
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ located in your right upper abdomen, just under your ribcage. It stores and releases bile used in digestion.
This article discusses the causes of gallbladder pain, including gallstone andgallbladder diseases. It also explains treatments for gallbladder pain relief and how to prevent a recurring gallbladder attack.
Verywell / Alexandra Gordon
Causes of Gallbladder Pain
These are potential sources of gallbladder pain.
Gallstones
The most common cause of gallbladder pain isgallstones(also called “cholelithiasis”). These are hard particles that form due to either an imbalance of the substances that make upbile(the fluid that the gallbladder secretes to aid in the digestion of food) or the gallbladder not emptying as it should. These particles can be quite small or grow to the size of a golf ball.
Pain can occur when a gallstone blocks one of the ducts in the biliary tract—the part of your body that contains your gallbladder and your bile ducts.The pain may ease when the gallstone moves and the bile duct is no longer blocked.
Inflammation
Gallbladder inflammation (called “cholecystitis”) most commonly develops as a result of gallstones.
Acute Cholecystitis
When a gallstone becomes stuck within the gallbladder, inflammation ensues This causes sudden and sometimes severe abdominal pain (called “biliary colic”) along with nausea, vomiting, fever, and a loss of appetite. Biliary colic describes a dull, cramping pain in the upper-right part of the abdomen.
Acalculous Cholecystitis
Acalculous cholecystitiscauses the same symptoms as acute cholecystitis, although a gallstone is not the culprit. While the precise cause is not clear, experts suspect poor bile and blood flow within the gallbladder may cause this condition to develop. Acalculous cholecystitis is mostly seen in people who are severely ill, like those on mechanical ventilation or those with a major infection or severe burn injury.
Bile Duct Obstruction
Choledocholithiasisoccurs when gallstones block the common bile duct, restricting the flow of bile from the liver to the intestine. The resulting rise in pressure can cause an increase in liver enzymes andjaundice.
Motility Disorder of the Gallbladder
Functional gallbladder disease (FGBD), sometimes referred to as “biliary dyskinesia,” is the technical name for gallbladder disease without the presence of any gallstones. It includes dysfunction of the sphincter of Oddi, the muscular sphincter that helps to control gallbladder emptying.
Biliary dyskinesia is a gallbladder syndrome that occurs when your gallbladder is not emptying properly. Due to improper drainage of bile, gallbladder pain and other symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, may result.
Gallbladder Cancer
Gallbladder canceris rare and is often not diagnosed until it is fairly advanced. Besides gallbladder pain, a person with gallbladder cancer may be jaundiced and experience nausea, vomiting, and weight loss.
Because of its vague symptoms, gallbladder cancer is often found late. Gallbladder cancer that is diagnosed late can have a poor prognosis.
Polyps
Bile Duct Infection
Acute cholangitisoccurs from a bacterial infection in the common bile duct. This is often the result of an obstructing gallstone, or sometimes a bile duct stricture or cancer of the gallbladder, bile duct, pancreas, orduodenum(first part of the small intestine).
Symptoms of acute cholangitis may include upper-right-sided abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice.In more severe cases, a person may also develop low blood pressure and confusion, which can be signs of life-threateningsepsis.
Treatments
The treatment of gallbladder pain depends on the precise cause and may include medication or surgery.
Medication
Medications are rarely used to treat gallstones, but your healthcare provider may recommend a medication like anonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID)for gallbladder pain relief.
Antibiotics may be given if a person develops a gallbladder or biliary tract infection, which is a complication of gallstone disease.
Bile acid pills are sometimes given to people with minimal symptoms and a well-functioning gallbladder. The medicationsursodeoxycholic acidandursodiolhelp to dissolve the cholesterol type of gallstones in two-thirds of patients within two to three months, but the stones may not disappear entirely.
Surgery
There are two surgical ways to remove the gallbladder:
“Watch and Wait” ApproachFor people with asymptomatic gallstones, a “watch and wait” approach is taken, meaning surgery to remove their gallbladder is only done if and when their gallstones begin causing symptoms.Only about 50% of people with asymptomatic gallstones will develop symptoms, whereas surgery carries some risks. A low-fat diet can be beneficial in preventing gallstone formation, as 80% or more of gallstones are made of cholesterol.
“Watch and Wait” Approach
For people with asymptomatic gallstones, a “watch and wait” approach is taken, meaning surgery to remove their gallbladder is only done if and when their gallstones begin causing symptoms.Only about 50% of people with asymptomatic gallstones will develop symptoms, whereas surgery carries some risks. A low-fat diet can be beneficial in preventing gallstone formation, as 80% or more of gallstones are made of cholesterol.
For people with asymptomatic gallstones, a “watch and wait” approach is taken, meaning surgery to remove their gallbladder is only done if and when their gallstones begin causing symptoms.
Only about 50% of people with asymptomatic gallstones will develop symptoms, whereas surgery carries some risks. A low-fat diet can be beneficial in preventing gallstone formation, as 80% or more of gallstones are made of cholesterol.
Focusing on ahealthy lifestyleis your best chance to prevent gallstones and, thus, gallbladder pain.
Bear in mind that these strategies do more than keep your gallbladder healthy—they also keep your heart healthy:
If you think you are experiencing gallbladder pain, inform your healthcare provider as soon as possible, even if your symptoms have gone away. Your healthcare provider will want to make sure that you are not experiencing a problem that will put you at risk for more severe disease in the future.
Get immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:
Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
You may have to make dietary changes to control gallstones during pregnancy. If surgery is necessary, your healthcare provider will likely suggest doing it in the second trimester or waiting until you’ve given birth.
About 5% to 40% of people will experience postcholecystectomy syndrome after gallbladder removal. It can cause abdominal symptoms similar to the pain felt before the gallbladder was removed.
The best foods for a healthy gallbladder are lean meats, fish, plant-based foods, lower-sodium foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. High intake of saturated fats, sugar, sodium, refined carbs, red meat, fried foods, and full-fat dairy products may lead to or worsen gallbladder problems.
Yes. It isn’t common, but COVID-19 can cause gallbladder pain. One study found the virus can sometimes mimic cholecystitis.
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zakko SF.Patient education: Gallstones (beyond the basics). UpToDate.Johns Hopkins.What causes a gallbladder attack?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition and facts for gallstones.Halpin V.Acute cholecystitis.BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:0411.Balmadrid B.Recent advances in management of acalculous cholecystitis.F1000Res.2018;7: F1000 Faculty Rev-1660. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14886.1SF Zakko, WF Zakko.Functional gallbladder disorder in adults. UpToDate.American Cancer Society.About gallbladder cancer.Zakko WF, Zakko SF.Gallbladder polyps. UpToDate.Ahmed M.Acute cholangitis - an update.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol.2018;9(1):1-7. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v9.i1.1Johns Hopkins.Cholecystectomy.Katzarov AK, Dunkov ZI, Popadiin I, Katzarov KS.How to measure quality in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Ann Transl Med.2018;6(13):265. doi:10.21037/atm.2018.05.01NIDDK.Symptoms and causes of gallstones.University of Utah: Health.Gallbladder pain.Michigan Medicine.Postcholecystectomy syndrome.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for gallbladder cancer.Balaphas A, Gkoufa K, Meyer J, et al.COVID-19 can mimic acute cholecystitis and is associated with the presence of viral RNA in the gallbladder wall.J Hepatol. 2020;73(6):1566–8. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2020.08.020Additional ReadingLee JY, Keane MG, Pereira S.Diagnosis and treatment of gallstone disease.Practitioner.2015;259(1783):15-9,2.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zakko SF.Patient education: Gallstones (beyond the basics). UpToDate.Johns Hopkins.What causes a gallbladder attack?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition and facts for gallstones.Halpin V.Acute cholecystitis.BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:0411.Balmadrid B.Recent advances in management of acalculous cholecystitis.F1000Res.2018;7: F1000 Faculty Rev-1660. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14886.1SF Zakko, WF Zakko.Functional gallbladder disorder in adults. UpToDate.American Cancer Society.About gallbladder cancer.Zakko WF, Zakko SF.Gallbladder polyps. UpToDate.Ahmed M.Acute cholangitis - an update.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol.2018;9(1):1-7. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v9.i1.1Johns Hopkins.Cholecystectomy.Katzarov AK, Dunkov ZI, Popadiin I, Katzarov KS.How to measure quality in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Ann Transl Med.2018;6(13):265. doi:10.21037/atm.2018.05.01NIDDK.Symptoms and causes of gallstones.University of Utah: Health.Gallbladder pain.Michigan Medicine.Postcholecystectomy syndrome.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for gallbladder cancer.Balaphas A, Gkoufa K, Meyer J, et al.COVID-19 can mimic acute cholecystitis and is associated with the presence of viral RNA in the gallbladder wall.J Hepatol. 2020;73(6):1566–8. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2020.08.020Additional ReadingLee JY, Keane MG, Pereira S.Diagnosis and treatment of gallstone disease.Practitioner.2015;259(1783):15-9,2.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Zakko SF.Patient education: Gallstones (beyond the basics). UpToDate.Johns Hopkins.What causes a gallbladder attack?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition and facts for gallstones.Halpin V.Acute cholecystitis.BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:0411.Balmadrid B.Recent advances in management of acalculous cholecystitis.F1000Res.2018;7: F1000 Faculty Rev-1660. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14886.1SF Zakko, WF Zakko.Functional gallbladder disorder in adults. UpToDate.American Cancer Society.About gallbladder cancer.Zakko WF, Zakko SF.Gallbladder polyps. UpToDate.Ahmed M.Acute cholangitis - an update.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol.2018;9(1):1-7. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v9.i1.1Johns Hopkins.Cholecystectomy.Katzarov AK, Dunkov ZI, Popadiin I, Katzarov KS.How to measure quality in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Ann Transl Med.2018;6(13):265. doi:10.21037/atm.2018.05.01NIDDK.Symptoms and causes of gallstones.University of Utah: Health.Gallbladder pain.Michigan Medicine.Postcholecystectomy syndrome.American Cancer Society.Survival rates for gallbladder cancer.Balaphas A, Gkoufa K, Meyer J, et al.COVID-19 can mimic acute cholecystitis and is associated with the presence of viral RNA in the gallbladder wall.J Hepatol. 2020;73(6):1566–8. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2020.08.020
Zakko SF.Patient education: Gallstones (beyond the basics). UpToDate.
Johns Hopkins.What causes a gallbladder attack?
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition and facts for gallstones.
Halpin V.Acute cholecystitis.BMJ Clin Evid. 2014;2014:0411.
Balmadrid B.Recent advances in management of acalculous cholecystitis.F1000Res.2018;7: F1000 Faculty Rev-1660. doi:10.12688/f1000research.14886.1
SF Zakko, WF Zakko.Functional gallbladder disorder in adults. UpToDate.
American Cancer Society.About gallbladder cancer.
Zakko WF, Zakko SF.Gallbladder polyps. UpToDate.
Ahmed M.Acute cholangitis - an update.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol.2018;9(1):1-7. doi:10.4291/wjgp.v9.i1.1
Johns Hopkins.Cholecystectomy.
Katzarov AK, Dunkov ZI, Popadiin I, Katzarov KS.How to measure quality in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Ann Transl Med.2018;6(13):265. doi:10.21037/atm.2018.05.01
NIDDK.Symptoms and causes of gallstones.
University of Utah: Health.Gallbladder pain.
Michigan Medicine.Postcholecystectomy syndrome.
American Cancer Society.Survival rates for gallbladder cancer.
Balaphas A, Gkoufa K, Meyer J, et al.COVID-19 can mimic acute cholecystitis and is associated with the presence of viral RNA in the gallbladder wall.J Hepatol. 2020;73(6):1566–8. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2020.08.020
Lee JY, Keane MG, Pereira S.Diagnosis and treatment of gallstone disease.Practitioner.2015;259(1783):15-9,2.
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