In the United States, gallstones affect at least 20 million people per year. [] While it’s possible to have gallstones and not know it, severe cases can lead to rupturing of the gallbladder and even death. Understanding your gallbladder and naturally supporting it with the right nutrition is imperative for good health.
Gallbladder: Location, Description, and Function
Located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen and situated beneath the liver, the gallbladder is a kidney bean-shaped organ connected to the liver by the hepatic duct. The gallbladder works as a storage facility for the pint or so of bile the liver produces every day. The cells of the intestinal walls secrete a hormone called cholecystokinin which causes the gallbladder to contract and send bile into the common bile duct.
It’s common to live with stones without apparent symptoms. However, when a gallstone attack does surface, the crippling pain can last from a few minutes to a few hours or more. The pain usually starts in the abdomen and radiates to the chest, the back, and between the shoulder blades and may be accompanied by gas, heartburn, and indigestion.
If gallstones block the bile duct, the risk of infection increases. If the pain is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills, then an infection has already started. At that point, if it spreads to the liver, jaundiced skin and yellowing of the eyes are close behind.
Gallstones may also block the cystic duct and inflame the gallbladder. When this, a condition known as cholecystitis, happens, pain in the upper right abdomen and left shoulder occurs and brings on a fever. Another problem, gallstone ileus, is caused by a gallstone slipping into the small intestine and blocking entry to the large intestine. Although gallstone ileus can be corrected only by surgery, nutritional support can .
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