Chronic cholecystitis is an inflammatory disease of the gallbladder, often complicated by a narrowing of the bile ducts and a violation of bile flow into the duodenum, which is characterized by a slowly progressing course with periodic exacerbations.
Causes of exacerbation of cholecystitis
In general, cholecystitis can provoke a number of diseases that cause dyskinesia of bile ducts, bile stasis and the development of infection. The cause of exacerbation of such a sluggish inflammatory process is most often:
- alcohol consumption;
- binge eating;
- consumption of fatty, fried and spicy food.
In addition, exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis can occur against the background:
- hypothermia;
- large physical exertion;
- general decrease in immunity caused by any diseases.
Symptoms of exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis
Chronic cholecystitis can develop for years, showing itself only under the influence of aggravating factors. So, the characteristic pains in the right hypochondrium are low-intensity and appear irregularly. Sometimes the periods of remission, without any severe symptoms of the disease, can last several months. If there is a violation of diet, the pain may become worse, nausea starts to appear. Periodically, the patient is concerned:
- shortness of breath ;
- heartburn;
- disturbance of the stool.
In the acute stage, the main symptoms of chronic cholecystitis become pronounced. In case the aggravation is provoked by the displacement of stones in the gallbladder, the pain is severe, spasmodic, sometimes giving to the right shoulder and shoulder blade. If the outflow of bile is not blocked, then a sign of exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis is a monotonous, dull, gradually increasing pain. The patient is vomiting, sometimes with an admixture of bile, not bringing relief. Body temperature is subfebrile or elevated.
Approximately one third of patients with chronic cholecystitis exacerbate atypical pain: they are not localized in the right hypochondrium,
With an exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis, as with any inflammatory process, there is a general decline in strength, a decrease in immunity, and as a result - an increased susceptibility to catarrhal diseases.
Also, with exacerbation of cholecystitis, there are irregularities in the functioning of the intestine, alternating constipation and diarrhea, bloating, increased gas formation. The latter symptoms are most often caused not by cholecystitis, but by pancreatitis or gastritis, which often occur in parallel with chronic cholecystitis.