Cholecystitis: Causes, Treatments, and What You Need to Know About Gallbladder Inflammation

When your cholecystitis, inflammation of the gallbladder, often triggered by blocked bile flow. Also known as gallbladder inflammation, it doesn’t just cause discomfort—it can lead to infection, rupture, or emergency surgery if ignored. Most cases start with gallstones, hard deposits that form in the gallbladder and block the ducts. These stones are made of cholesterol or bilirubin, and they’re not rare—nearly 20 million Americans have them. But only a fraction develop cholecystitis. What turns silent stones into a medical emergency? When those stones get stuck in the cystic duct, bile backs up, the gallbladder swells, and bacteria start to grow. The result? Sharp pain under your right ribs, fever, nausea, and sometimes jaundice.

This isn’t just about diet or aging. While fatty meals can trigger attacks, the real issue is often a combination of genetics, weight changes, and how your body handles bile. People with diabetes, obesity, or rapid weight loss are at higher risk. Women over 40 are more likely to develop gallstones, but men aren’t immune. And here’s the catch: you can have gallstones for years with zero symptoms, then wake up one morning with unbearable pain. That’s cholecystitis hitting hard. The good news? Once diagnosed, treatment is straightforward—often antibiotics to calm the infection, then surgery to remove the gallbladder. Most people recover fully and live normally without it. Your liver still makes bile, but now it flows straight into your intestine, bypassing the gallbladder entirely.

What you won’t find in most guides is how often cholecystitis is confused with other issues—heartburn, pancreatitis, even a heart attack. The pain can radiate to your shoulder or back, making it easy to misread. That’s why knowing the difference matters. If you’ve had repeated episodes of upper right abdominal pain after eating, especially with nausea or fever, don’t wait. See a doctor. Get an ultrasound. It’s quick, painless, and could prevent a hospital trip. The posts below cover everything from how gallbladder surgery has changed in the last decade, to which medications can worsen bile flow, to what happens when bile ducts get blocked by something other than stones. You’ll find real-world advice on managing symptoms, understanding test results, and knowing when it’s time to act—before it’s too late.