Symptoms of Gallbladder Problems

For the most part the gallbladder is not an organ that causes any health problems. However, when it does act up for any reason there will be symptoms of gallbladder problems. Unfortunately, these symptoms are often mistaken for other conditions if they are mild in nature and only in severe cases is it easy to recognize that the gallbladder is the culprit and not some other organ or disease.  

Identifying the symptoms of gallbladder problems is not easy to do and that also goes for doctors. Common symptoms that may be noticed include gas, headaches, constipation, belching, indigestion and diarrhea. Often a consistent pain on the right side of the body in the area of the upper abdomen is there, but even that can be confused with other medical conditions. If may of these symptoms occur at the same time, then the doctor should be made aware of this fact so that they can refer you to a specialist who will then examine the gallbladder. The examination can be done with x-rays or ultrasound pictures and it does not take long to see if there are gallstones, a blockage or polyps in the gallbladder. 

Since the symptoms of gallbladder problems are usually infrequent and only mild to moderate, the doctor will usually not take any further action. However, once you know that there is a potential for a gallbladder attack, you can take preventive measures. This includes not eating or avoiding fatty or greasy foods as much as possible. It is a fact that food is the number one trigger of gallbladder problems and therefore a proper gallbladder friendly diet is often all it takes to keep an attack from happening. Other foods to avoid include pork, eggs, onions, milk, coffee and beans. 

Of course food is not the only trigger and cause of symptoms of gallbladder problems. Other factors that increase the chances of gallbladder problems include obesity, gender, age and diet. More women that men have gallbladder problems and symptoms increase in frequency and severity in those that are very overweight. Older people are also more prone to these problems and some even inherit the pre-disposition to gallbladder problems and therefore suffer the symptoms too.