Itchy Skin
Itchy skin is one of the classic gallstone symptoms. The Mayo Clinic cites itchiness as a symptom of gallbladder disease in women. In addition, they note that it’s one of the more common symptoms overall; approximately 40 percent to 70 percent of people with gallbladder disease will experience itchiness at some point. A few different reasons for an itch to be associated with gallstone disease exist. First, gallstones can cause inflammation, which most often results in itching.
Gallstones can also cause infection, and infections can cause itching (and other things like pain, swelling, redness, etc.). Sometimes the itching comes from another source and is only exacerbated by gallstone issues; for example, if you have an allergy to a certain type of food, eating that food could lead to an allergic reaction causing massive itchiness.
The most important thing is that you get checked by a doctor if you are experiencing this kind of itchiness. Itchy skin can signify many health problems besides gallstones, including some very serious ones. Therefore, it’s better to err on caution and have a doctor rule out any non-gallstone-related causes before settling on a diagnosis of gallbladder disease.
