Right flank pain is referred to as right upper quadrant pain in modern medicine, and although there can be many causes, it is highly likely to be a problem related to the gallbladder. In particular, if the pain worsens at night after eating greasy food, it is necessary to suspect cholelithiasis or acute cholecystitis.
The gallbladder is a small pouch-shaped organ attached beneath the liver that stores and concentrates bile made in the liver. Bile is an essential fluid for digesting and absorbing the fats we ingest. However, when these bile components lose balance, hardened stone-like gallstones can form. Cholesterol gallstones are the most common, and biliary cholesterol supersaturation is the main cause.
When gallstones formed this way block the narrow passage called the cystic duct, bile cannot be discharged properly and pools inside the gallbladder, increasing pressure and causing inflammation. This is precisely cholecystitis. When a gallstone temporarily blocks the cystic duct and then releases, the pain may disappear, which is called biliary colic. However, if a gallstone persistently blocks the cystic duct and is accompanied by a bacterial infection, the inflammation can worsen and progress to acute cholecystitis.
Acute cholecystitis goes beyond a simple flank ache; severe pain occurs in the right upper abdomen and can radiate to the back or below the right scapula. Nausea, vomiting, and dyspepsia are common, and in severe cases, fever and chills may be accompanied. The pain usually appears within one to four hours after a meal, and tends to become more severe especially after a high-fat meal.
These symptoms are easily mistaken for simple dyspepsia, but leaving them unattended can lead to serious complications such as gallbladder rupture or sepsis, so they must never be taken lightly. Ultrasonography or blood tests can accurately diagnose the presence of gallstones and the degree of gallbladder inflammation. The fact that Donguibogam emphasized the flow of qi in the liver and gallbladder aligns closely with modern medicine valuing the excretion and stagnation of bile. It is important to remember that stress, irregular dietary habits, and an excessively high-fat diet impair the functions of the liver and gallbladder, ultimately becoming major causes of cholelithiasis and cholecystitis. Our body sends truly honest signals.
