Symptoms of a gall bladder attack are mild to severe pain in the middle to upper right area of the abdomen, says WebMD. The pain might radiate to the upper back or the shoulder and may mimic a heart attack. It may be intermittent, steady or worsen after meals.
If gallstones are obstructing a duct, the patient might also suffer jaundice, chills and fever, claims WebMD. The pain of a gall bladder attack can also be caused by biliary colic, pancreatitis, cholecystitis and ascending cholangitis, says MedicineNet. Biliary colic is a pain that happens when something, usually gallstones, prevents bile from flowing out of the gall bladder, claims Drugs.com. Other things that can cause biliary colic are tumors and a narrowed bile duct.
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, the gland that makes insulin, claims MedicineNet. It can also be caused by gallstones that block the pancreatic duct. Cholecystitis is the term for an inflamed gallbladder, according to the Mayo Clinic. Again, this condition can be caused by obstructing gallstones, problems with the bile ducts or tumors. One complication of cholecystitis is a build up of bile in the bladder. This causes even more inflammation and can even lead to a rupture of the gall bladder.
