Recently my sister has been complaining of severe
abdominal pain and cramps especially at night time
after eating dinner, can you give me some advice on
what could be the cause of this?
When you have abdominal pain regularly after eating a
large meal this could be a first warning sign of Gallstones
so it is important to seek medical attention to rule this out.
The Gall bladder is a small organ situated below the liver,
its main function is to store bile produced by the liver to
digest fat, and aid with the absorption of nutrients in the
body. When it malfunctions, this causes an imbalance in the
chemical make-up of the bile creating gallstones.
Mild discomfort to severe cramping in the upper right side of
the abdomen is caused often with added symptoms of
nausea and vomiting. Females over forty, diabetics, obese
people and those that eat a diet high in fat or women who
take oestrogen due to hormonal replacement therapy, birth
control or are pregnant are more prone to produce
gallstones.
A simple blood test can show signs of jaundice and
inflammation caused by gallstones, but it is essential to
perform an Abdominal ultrasound, which can be easily
detect gallstones in an instance. However, if the stones are
Deep within the abdomen a CT or MRI scan will be
necessary to confirm a positive diagnosis.