Your gallbladder can be a tricky organ in your body. It has the very specific function of storing and releasing bile that helps break down the fats within your food during digestion.

When that function becomes disrupted somehow, gallstones can form and cause you pain! If you are experiencing pain in your upper abdomen, we can help investigate your pain at AFC Urgent Care Louisville. Read on to learn more about the relationship between your gallbladder and your body.

What Are Gallstones?

If your gallbladder fails to empty out the bile during digestion, the buildup of leftover bile can create hardened deposits. They can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball!

Many different factors can contribute to gallstones, but there is a direct correlation between the development of gallstones and high level of cholesterol in the body. That is why being overweight or obese is a risk factor for this condition. Some cases don’t produce any symptoms, but if your gallstone is large enough, it can cause intense pain in your abdomen.

Symptoms of a Gallstone

• Sudden or intense pain in the upper right abdomen
• Back pain between your shoulder blades
• Nausea/vomiting
• Pain in right shoulder

How Are Gallstones Treated?

Your gallbladder is not an essential organ, meaning it is not critical to life. You can function normally without it, so gallbladder removal surgery is a relatively common solution. It is low risk and routine, so recovery is typically quick!

If gallstones sit in your gallbladder without treatment, the inflammation can cause a blockage within your bile duct or pancreatic duct. If your pancreas becomes irritated, you can add pancreatitis to your list of ailments. Recovery from pancreatitis often requires a hospital stay.

Those at More Risk of Gallstones

• Females
• People aged 40 or older
• Overweight or obese people
• People with a poor diet or high cholesterol

Pain from a gallstone can be intense! If you are experiencing upper abdomen or back pain, come see us at AFC Urgent Care Louisville.