Gallstones or "cholelithiasis" are solid lumps of various sizes that develop in the gallbladder when an imbalance arises in the chemical composition of bile. The most common type consists mainly of cholesterol. According to the University of...
In the upper right abdomen, sitting just below the liver, is a small sac shaped very much like a pear. This is the gallbladder, where the bile your liver produces to help digest fat is stored until it is needed. The National Digestive Diseases...
Your gallbladder is a sac-like organ beneath your liver that stores a liver secretion called bile. The main health problems involving this organ include painful accumulations of hardened bile, called gallstones, and a form of inflammation called...
Everyone experiences abdominal pain and swelling at some point in his or her life. In most cases, abdominal pain and swelling are caused by air or increased gas in the stomach and do not indicate a serious condition. When abdominal pain and...
Cholecystitis and cholelithiasis are two forms of gallbladder disease. The gallbladder is a tiny but vital organ that stores and provides bile, the salty acid that eats fats during the digestive process. Cholecystitis is an acute, painful...
The gallbladder, a pear-shaped organ found in the upper right portion of the abdomen, functions to store bile produced by the liver until needed by the small intestine. The substances in bile, which include bile salts, bilirubin--a waste product...
Acute cholecystitis, or gallbladder attack, is a sudden inflammation of the gallbladder that causes severe abdominal pain. This acute inflammation of the walls of the gallbladder is usually presented when the cystic duct is obstructed by a stone....
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, almost everybody experiences abdominal pain or discomfort at some point in their lives, although most abdominal pain is not serious and does not...
Rapidly developing inflammation of the gallbladder is called acute cholecystitis. This condition most often develops when a gallstone lodges in the duct that permits outflow of bile from the gallbladder. Without a way to release bile, the...
Gallstones are lumps that develop in the bile duct or gallbladder. They are produced when chemicals in the gallbladder, such as calcium carbonate and cholesterol, harden and form a large stone or several small ones. Symptoms of gallstones include...
The gallbladder, a small pouch beneath the liver, is a storage unit for bile, produced by the liver. The gallbladder releases bile to help digest fats found in food. Common gallbladder diseases include stone formation, infection, blockage of ducts...
The gallbladder is an organ located beneath the liver. It releases a fluid known as bile into the small intestine, where the bile helps to digest fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Produced in the liver, bile also plays a role in the elimination of...
There are many causes of acute abdominal pain. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians or AAFP, acute abdominal pain may signal a serious underlying health condition and should not be ignored. Acute abdominal pain may be caused by a...
The gallbladder, a sac-like organ, functions as a reservoir to hold bile, a substance produced by the liver to aid in digestion. Inflammation of the gall bladder, a condition known as cholecystitis, can occur either suddenly--known as acute...
According to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, pain that manifests in the abdomen, including the right upper abdominal quadrant, can be caused by the viscera or abdominal organs, structures outside the abdomen or the parietal peritoneum --...
The gallbladder is located just below the liver and releases bile into the stomach to aid in digestion. Some people experience gallbladder attacks, sudden inflammation in the gallbladder that may result in severe pain in the abdomen, often...
Individuals suffering from trouble with their gallbladders may have one of several types of gallbladder disease that cause benign or malignant growths, infection or inflammation of the gallbladder or bile ducts, a blockage in the gallbladder, or...
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 17th Edition," gallstones affect 20 percent of women and 8 percent of men over 40 years of age and increases in incidence to 40 percent in women over 65 years of the age. Gallstones are...
Acute cholecystitis, or gallbladder inflammation, usually results from gallstone irritation and often leads to infection. The buildup of bile and bacteria in the gallbladder raises your risk for infection of the gallbladder and bile duct. If you...
The gallbladder is a small sac located below the liver in the upper right portion of the abdomen. Gallbladder stores bile, which is a digestive fluid that helps the body digest fats. The liver makes bile and then sends it to the gallbladder where...
Gallbladder problems take a variety of forms. Gallstones, gallbladder attacks, acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, infections and obstruction of the larger bile system can cause symptomatic gallbladder disease. Symptoms of the various types...
Intestinal or stomach noise is a normal part of digestion. Your brain sends a signal to your intestines that triggers the release of digestive fluids as muscle contractions begin. This growling or rumbling lets you know it is time to eat. When...
Pain in the abdomen is a common symptom that can be caused by a variety of problems. Difficulties within the intestines, gallbladder, pancreas and female reproductive organs can all cause it. The exact location of the pain and the way it develops...
Nausea can be attributed to a variety of causes. Both physical illness and even psychological stress can be culprits of this bothersome symptom. But if you're experiencing it after eating, the list of possibilities narrows down. Nausea is not...
Abdominal pain is common complaint in many emergency rooms. The nature and severity of the pain often varies according to the underlying condition causing the pain. Right upper quadrant (RUQ) abdominal pain, depending on the cause, may require...
The abdomen describes the region of the body that expands from the chest cavity to the pelvis. Because so many organs reside in the abdominal cavity, abdominal pain can occur due to many different conditions. The intensity of the abdominal pain...
Although fatty foods contribute to various health conditions, including high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, these are illnesses that develop over time. You don't expect to get sick shortly after eating fat. If you do, you might have a...
The liver produces bile to aid in the digestion of fats, cholesterol and certain vitamins. This bile is delivered to the gallbladder, which dispenses small amounts in response to food entering the small intestine. The gallbladder is a small, pear...
The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ connected to the liver that is responsible for storing and concentrating bile (digestive juices). The substances in bile can crystallize, forming stones in the gallbladder resulting in gallbladder disease....
Gallstones are solid deposits of cholesterol or calcium salts that form in your gallbladder or nearby bile ducts. Complications from gallstones can be serious, and even fatal, if left untreated. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and...
