Sunday, May 03, 2009

Gallstones attack

A main symptom of gallstones is called gallstone attack, in which a person will experience intense pain in the upper abdominal region that steadily increases for approximately twenty minutes to several hours. A victim may also encounter pain in the back, ordinarily between the shoulder blades, or pain under the right shoulder. Sometimes, vomiting or nausea may occur. In some cases, the pain actually develops in the lower region of the stomach, nearer to the pelvis, but this is less common. One way to alleviate this feeling is to drink a full glass of water at the start of an attack to regulate the bile in the gallbladder, but this does not work in all cases. Often, these attacks occur after a particularly fatty meal and almost always happen at night. Other symptoms include abdominal bloating, intolerance of fatty foods, belching, gas, and indigestion. If the above symptoms coincide with chills, lowgrade fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes, and/or clay-colored stool, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Some people who have gallstones are asymptomatic and do not feel any pain or discomfort. These gallstones are called "silent stones" and do not affect the gallbladder or other internal organs. They do not need treatment.

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