Cholecystitis is the inflammation of the gallbladder. Your gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ on the right side of your abdomen. It holds a digestive fluid, called bile, that is released into your small intestine.

Symptoms of cholecystitis include severe pain in your upper right or centre abdomen, pain that spreads to your right shoulder or back, tenderness in the abdomen when touched, nausea, vomiting and fever.

In most cases, gallstones cause a blockage in the tube leading out of your gallbladder and a build-up of bile causes the inflammation. A tumor may also cause a similar result from a blockage. Certain viral infections such as AIDS can trigger gallbladder inflammation.

If left untreated it can lead to serious, and at times, life-threatening complications, such as an infection of the bile, death of the gallbladder tissue (gangrene) which may lease to the rupture of the gallbladder.

A blood test should determine an infection or problems of the gallbladder. The usual treatment for cholecystitis will involve a hospital stay to control the inflammation. Fasting may reduce the stress that is on your gallbladder. Antibiotics will help if your gallbladder has become infected or pain medication will help control that pain until the inflammation in your gallbladder is relieved. In come cases surgery may be required to remove any stones that are blocking the bile ducts.

Symptoms are likely to decrease within a few days; however, the inflammation is likely to return. In many cases, patients will eventually have to have surgery to remove the gallbladder. Your do not need your gallbladder in order to live normally.