It is important to know that bile plays a central role in the digestion of fat. In the human body, bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder until it is needed for fat digestion. In this way, the body can react quickly to the rapid ingestion of large amounts of fat: the gallbladder contracts and releases the stored bile “in a burst” into the duodenum.

This is the normal procedure – what if this process is associated with pain? The gallbladder is directly connected to the gastrointestinal tract, therefore bacteria may also migrate from the bowel into the gallbladder and cause inflammation. Normally, these bacteria are regularly flushed back into the intestine with the bile through contractions of the gallbladder. However, if gallstones are present, it is easier for bacteria to remain in the gallbladder because they can adhere to the gallstones. Through this mechanism, gallstones promote the development of gallbladder inflammation. As soon as the gallbladder is inflamed, the contraction of the gallbladder leads to irritation of the peritoneum and thus pain (often associated with nausea and vomiting). This mechanism makes clear why pain usually occurs immediately after eating fatty food. Once the inflammation reaches a certain level, fever also occurs.

If you notice the symptoms described above, the presence of gallbladder inflammation should be clarified with a blood sample and an ultrasound examination. Depending on the severity of the inflammation, in many cases it can be treated with medication (antibiotics, painkillers, antispasmodics) when it first occurs. If there is severe inflammation or if the inflammation recurs, a gallbladder removal is necessary.