Acute cholecystitis
Overview
Acute cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder. It usually happens when a gallstone blocks the cystic duct.
Symptoms
The main symptom of acute cholecystitis is a sudden, sharp pain in the upper right-hand side of your tummy (abdomen). This pain spreads towards your right shoulder. The affected part of the tummy is usually very tender, and breathing deeply can make the pain worse. Unlike other types ofabdominal pain, the pain of acute cholecystitis is usually persistent and does not go away within a few hours. Some people may have additional symptoms, such as: a high temperaturefeeling sickbeing sicksweatingloss of appetiteyellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes(jaundice)a bulge in the tummy
Causes
The causes of acute cholecystitis can be grouped into 2 main categories: calculous cholecystitis and acalculous cholecystitis.
Treatment
Initial treatment will usually involve: not eating or drinking (fasting) to take the strain off your gallbladderreceiving fluids through a drip directly into a vein (intravenously) to preventdehydrationtaking medicine to relieve your pain You'll also be givenantibioticsif it's thought you have an infection. These often need to be continued for up to a week, during which time you may need to stay in hospital, or you may be able to go home.
Prevention
It's not always possible to prevent acute cholecystitis, but you can lower your risk of developing it by reducing your risk of getting gallstones. One of the main things you can do to lower your chances of getting gallstones is to adopt ahealthy, balanced dietand reduce the number of high-cholesterol foods you eat, as cholesterol is thought to contribute to the formation of gallstones. Living with overweight orobesityalso increases your risk of developing gallstones. You should therefore control your weight by eating a healthy diet andexercising regularly. But low-calorie rapid weight loss diets should be avoided because there's evidence they can disrupt your bile chemistry and actually increase your risk of developing gallstones. A moregradual weight loss planis best. Find out more about preventing gallstones
When to see a doctor
See a GP as soon as possible if you develop sudden and severe abdominal pain, particularly if it lasts longer than a few hours or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as jaundice and a high temperature. If you're unable to contact a GP immediately, phone your localout-of-hours serviceor callNHS 111for advice. It's important for acute cholecystitis to be diagnosed as soon as possible, as there's a risk of serious complications developing if it's not treated promptly.