Your gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ located in your abdomen. Gallbladder disease is usually due to gallstones and can cause mild to severe abdominal pain. Since your gallbladder is part of your digestive system, gallbladder pain can be especially bad just after you eat. See your doctor if you have symptoms of gallbladder disease; she will run tests such as a gallbladder ultrasound to determine the cause of the problem. In the meantime, eating a low-fat diet can decrease your gallbladder pains.
The Gallbladder
The gallbladder is a sac-like organ located just below your liver in the upper-right portion of your abdomen. Your gallbladder stores and concentrates the bile your liver makes. When your stomach is full of food, the duodenum, which is the first portion of your small intestine, releases a chemical called cholecystokinin, or CCK. The CCK tells your gallbladder to start contracting and releasing bile into the duodenum, where it aids in digestion. Bile helps your body digest fats and fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin D. Bile also contains waste products, such as bilirubin, that pass through your bowels for excretion.
Gallbladder Disease
The most common disorder of the gallbladder is the formation of gallstones, or cholelithiasis. According to the Colorado State University's Biomedical Hypertext, about 20 million people in the U.S. have gallstones. Most gallstones are made of cholesterol, which is formed in the liver. If your liver releases too much cholesterol or not enough bile salts, gallstones can form in your gallbladder. About 10 percent of gallstones are made of bile pigments. Gallstones can cause pain and inflammation in the gallbladder or cause a blockage of the bile duct. A blockage of the cystic duct can cause cholecystitis, a potentially serious inflammation of the gallbladder. Symptoms of gallbladder disease include upper-right abdominal pain that can radiate to the back, nausea and vomiting.
Gallbladder and Diet
Since bile helps your body digest fats, you need more bile to digest a high-fat meal. Your body detects high amounts of fats in the food you eat and responds by releasing more bile and more CCK, which tells your gallbladder to contract more. If you have gallbladder disease, a high-fat meal can trigger a gallbladder attack. Eating a low-fat diet can lessen the number and severity of your gallbladder attacks. According to MayoClinic.com, a low-fiber, high-fat diet is also a risk factor for developing gallbladder disease.
Complications
Eating a low-fat diet will help your gallbladder pain, but it is not a substitute for medical care. Most people with gallbladder disease will need gallbladder surgery. Gallbladder disease can lead to serious conditions such as inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas, or a complete blockage of the bile duct; all of these conditions can be life-threatening if left untreated. See your physician if you are having symptoms of gallbladder disease. MayoClinic.com recommends that you seek medical attention immediately if you develop signs of serious complications, such as high fever with chills, yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, or abdominal pain so severe that you cannot find a comfortable position.
References
- Colorado State University Biomedical Hypertexts; Secretion of Bile and the Role of Bile Acids in Digestion; R. Bowen
- Colorado State University Biomedical Hypertexts; The Liver: Introduction and Index; R. Bowen
- Colorado State University Biomedical Hypertexts; Cholecystokinin; R. Bowen
- Colorado State University Biomedical Hypertexts; Gallstones (Cholelithiasis); R. Bowen
- Fusco, Mark, M.D.: Gallstones, Cholecystitis, and Gallbladder Dysfunction
- Utah Education Network; Basic Vitamins: Water-Soluble and Fat-Soluble; July 1997
- MayoClinic.com; Gallstones; July 2011
