ACUTE CHOLECYSTITIS
Acute cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is an organ that sits below your liver and helps your body digest fat.
Cholecystitis can become very severe and in most cases requires immediate medical attention. See your doctor as soon as possible if you think you have acute cholecystitis.
This condition can become chronic if it persists for a prolonged period of time, or if you’re having recurring symptoms from the inflammation.
Acute cholecystitis can also be caused by a severe illness or a tumor. However, these causes are rare.
The condition is considered chronic when attacks of cholecystitis are repeated or prolonged.
Women get gallstones more often than men. They also have a higher risk of developing acute cholecystitis.
Risk increases with age in both men and women, although the reason
for this is unclear. The risk is also higher for people of Scandinavian, Native American, or Hispanic descent.
The most common sign that you have acute cholecystitis is abdominal pain that lasts for several hours. This pain is usually in the middle or right side of your upper abdomen. It may also spread to your right shoulder or back.
Pain from acute cholecystitis can feel like sharp pain or dull cramps. It’s often described as excruciating.
Other symptoms include:
- clay-colored stool
- vomiting
- nausea
- fever
- yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes
- pain, typically after a meal
- chills
- abdominal bloating
