Gallbladder symptoms during pregnancy

Gallbladder and pregnancy

Gallbladder is an organ in the human body and it is a part of the digestive system. It is located below the liver and is the storage for bile while a person is eating. Gallbladder then has the role to press the bile into the colon. The bile that is in gallbladder is consisted of many substances, such as cholesterol, salts and lecithin. In case when these substances accumulate in the gallbladder and the accumulation becomes larger over time, then the gallstones are formed. They are like crystals and can cause intense pain and they are one of the main disorders of gallbladder.

Gallstones frequently occur in pregnancy and one of the main causes for forming the gallstones in this state is the increased levels of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones slow down the production of bile salts that carry the substances of which the gallstones are formed away from the liver and gallbladder into the colon. Except the gallstones, many other gallbladder disorder affect pregnant women, as well as those who take oral contraceptive pills that are high in estrogen and progesterone.

Symptoms of gallbladder in pregnancy

Gallbladder symptoms are very distinctive and cannot be misdiagnosed for the symptoms of some other condition. The most obvious signs of the gallbladder in pregnancy are sharp pain in the upper right abdomen and the pain between the shoulder blades that extends to the back and more to the right side. Furthermore, a pregnant woman with gallbladder pain may experience nausea, vomiting and fever, as well as those symptoms that are characteristic for the presence of gallstones. In the cases, when the bile ducts are blocked, a gallbladder attack may occur. There are cases when the gallbladder disorders led to the occurrence of fatty foods intolerance. The pregnant women may also experience the symptoms of cholecystitis, especially in the last months of pregnancy, but this problem appears without rash on the body. Furthermore, cholangitis may also occur and it is a medical term for bile duct infection.

Treatment of gallbladder in pregnancy

Since the woman is pregnant, she must consume healthy foods. Many doctors recommended certain herbal remedies that are effective for the gallbladder symptoms. Furthermore, acupuncture is also proven to be very good and it is not harmful for the mother and the child. It is also advisable for the pregnant women with gallbladder disorders to eat low fat foods and avoid spicy and acidic foods.