Pain under your right ribs after dinner can send you to the emergency room, or leave you wondering if it was only indigestion. Gallbladder attacks often follow heavy meals and usually happen in the evening or overnight, so an attack can catch you off guard late in the day.
Dr. Deborah Martin is a board-certified general surgeon with more than 30 years of experience caring for patients in the Atlanta area. Gallbladder surgery is one of the operations she performs most often. This page explains what an attack feels like, which symptoms need urgent care, and when surgery helps.
If you have had gallstone pain, you can request an appointment at our Alpharetta office. Dr. Martin will look at your symptoms and talk through your next step.
A gallbladder attack usually causes pain in the upper right part of your belly, and the pain can last several hours. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) explains why. A gallstone blocks a bile duct, which is a small tube that carries digestive fluid. The attack usually stops when the stone moves and the duct opens again.
Other symptoms can come along with the pain:
Gallstones are very common. NIDDK reports that they affect 10 to 15 percent of people in the United States, which is almost 25 million people. Most stones never block a duct, so they cause no symptoms and are called silent gallstones. If you have had one attack, more will likely follow.
Pain in the upper right belly after eating often points to the gallbladder, but it is not the only possible cause. NIDDK notes that gallstone symptoms can look like appendicitis, ulcers, pancreatitis (swelling of the pancreas), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is acid backing up into the throat.
You cannot tell these conditions apart from home. A surgeon needs to look at your symptoms, your history, and your exam findings. Dr. Martin may recommend tests to confirm gallstones or rule out another cause before she suggests a plan.
If your gallstones cause no symptoms, you probably do not need treatment, according to NIDDK. If you have had an attack, contact a doctor. Symptoms may fade, but they often return, and you may need treatment.
Surgery to remove the gallbladder is the usual treatment for gallstones. NIDDK reports that about a quarter of the nearly 1 million people diagnosed with gallstones each year need treatment, usually surgery. Repeated attacks, or any complication from a blocked duct, are the main reasons to talk about removal.
See a doctor right away, or go to the nearest emergency room (ER), if you have any of these during or after a gallbladder attack. NIDDK says they can be signs of a serious infection or swelling of the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas.
Left untreated, a blocked bile duct or pancreatic duct can be fatal, so these signs deserve fast attention.
Dr. Martin most often treats gallstones with laparoscopic gallbladder removal, a minimally invasive operation done through several small cuts. When the gallbladder is badly inflamed or scarred, she can use open surgery instead. You can learn more about gallbladder removal and her approach to laparoscopic surgery on our site.
Pain in the upper right belly after a meal can be a gallbladder attack, which often follows heavy meals. NIDDK notes that ulcers, pancreatitis, and reflux can cause similar pain, so a doctor should check it. Seek care right away if the pain lasts for hours.
Gallbladder attacks usually cause pain in the upper right belly that sometimes lasts several hours, according to NIDDK. They stop when the stone moves. If a duct stays blocked for more than a few hours, complications can develop, so contact a doctor.
The pain can ease when the stone moves, but it may return. NIDDK says that although symptoms may go away, they may appear again and you may need treatment. Talk with a doctor after any attack, even if you feel better.
A healthy eating plan can lower your risk, according to NIDDK's guidance on eating and gallstones. Eat more fiber, fewer refined carbohydrates and sugars, and healthy fats such as olive oil. Limit fried foods. If you need to lose weight, do it gradually.
Women, older adults, and people with a family history of gallstones have a higher risk, according to NIDDK. Obesity and rapid weight loss also raise the risk. Talk with your doctor before making big changes to how you eat.
Your primary care doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist or a surgeon, according to NIDDK. Dr. Martin is a board-certified general surgeon who performs gallbladder removal and can explain whether surgery is right for you.