The gallbladder is a hollow system that sits just beneath the liver. In adults, the gallbladder measures approximately 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in length and 4 centimetres (1.6 in) in diameter when fully distended. At the neck of the gall bladder is a mucosal fold called Hartmann's pouch, where gallstones commonly get stuck.
When food containing fat enters the digestive tract, it stimulates the secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK). In response to CCK, the adult human gallbladder, which stores about 50 millilitres (1.7 U.S. fl oz; 1.8 imp fl oz) of bile, releases its contents into the duodenum. The bile, originally produced in the liver, emulsifies fats in partly digested food.
During storage in the gallbladder, bile becomes more concentrated which increases its potency and intensifies its effect on fats.
Gallbladder attacks are more common than you may think. Gallstones affect more than 25,000 million Americans with 1 million new cases diagnosed annually, according to the American Gastroenterological Association.
People can go for years with digestive symptoms and never realize that they may be related to a gallbladder problem. That's because they are so inter-woven with other digestive symptoms such as indigestion, gas, bloating and constipation.
GALLBLADDER SYMPTOMS
" Pain or tenderness under the rib cage on the right side
" Pain between shoulder blades
" Stools light or chalky colored
" Indigestion after eating, especially fatty or greasy foods
" Nausea
" Dizziness
" Bloating
" Gas
" Burping or belching
" Feeling of fullness or food not digesting
" Diarrhea (or alternating from soft to watery)
" Constipation
" Headache over eyes, especially right
" Bitter fluid comes up after eating
" Frequent use of laxatives
GALLBLADDER ATTACK
SYMPTOMS
Please note that if you are in severe pain and particularly if your attack symptoms are accompanied by fever DO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY. The following symptoms are typical of a gallbladder attack.
" Moderate to severe pain under the right side of the rib cage
" Pain may radiate through to the back or to the right shoulder
" Severe upper abdominal pain (biliary colic)
" Nausea
" Queasiness
" Vomiting
" Gas
" Burping or belching
" Attacks are often at night
" Attacks often occur after overeating
" Pain will often but not always follow a meal with fats or grease
" Pain may be worse with deep inhalation
" Attacks can last from 15 minutes to 15 hours
SYMPTOMS OF GALLSTONES
Symptoms of a gallbladder attack are often caused by gallbladder stones. However, short of causing an actual attack, stones may be present for years and never cause any symptoms at all. "Biliary pain can occur in about a third of the gallstone patients" (which leaves two thirds NOT experiencing pain) and "sometimes the gallstone symptoms are difficult to differentiate from that of dyspepsia." (indigestion) The gallstones can impair the functioning of the gallbladder, however, which can result in any of the common gallbladder symptoms.
Gall bladder symptoms can look and feel the same with or without stones. Therefore, all of the symptoms on listed on this page can accompany gallstones.
SILENT GALLSTONES
70-80% of people with gallstones never know they have them. These are called "silent gallstones". However, the remaining 20-30% still results in 500,000-700,000 gallbladder removals every year. And since the diet of the general American population is not improving, those numbers are rising.
The risk of silent gallstones causing a gallbladder attack is about 1% per year.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine compared the mortality rate from emergency surgery performed for obstructing gallstones with the mortality rate from routine, scheduled gallbladder surgery and concluded that the latter gallbladder surgery is actually more dangerous. They advised that "silent" gallstones should not be subjected to surgery but left alone.
And another study reports:
"We conclude that innocent gallstones are not a myth, and that in some populations the majority of silent gallstones are inconsequential. We believe that routine prophylactic operation for silent gallstone disease, at least in white American men, is neither necessary nor advisable.".
Foods to Avoid for Gallstones:
Eggs, pork, gluten, onion, fowl, milk, coffee, grapefruit, oranges, corn, beans and nuts, alcohol, saturated fats, hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils
NOTE: green beans are not classified as beans.
Gallstones may be removed from the gallbladder by means of a gallbladder and liver flush.
As noted earlier in the pamphlet bile will concentrate in the gallbladder and if the gallbladder becomes sluggish and doesn't fully empty then this concentrated bile can develop into stones. Olive oil is a great stimulus to the gallbladder to empty itself and thus olive oil can help keep the gallbladder from developing stones. I would recommend at least a tablespoon a day for those individuals who suspect gallbladder problems. There are different supplements that can help dissolve gallstones one of those pectin in apple juice, I would recommend arsenic (pesticide) free organic apple juice. Choline is a supplement we use frequently for gallbladder issues because this can help reduce gallstones. Through testing we can determine the best approach in dealing with gallbladder issues and sometimes it can be purely neurological. Misalignments in the upper mid back can affect gallbladder function and can lead to functional spasms of the gallbladder. Coffee enemas can be very effective at stopping gallbladder attack (ask for coffee enema handout). The gallbladder liver flush indicated earlier is a seven day program that first prepares the stones to be removed and then on Saturday a drink is produced that will have a strong flushing effect on the gallbladder. Note: this flush should be used with some caution as large stones may become lodged in the bile ducts or common bile duct and might require surgery. (After 25 years recommending this no one has required surgery so for).
Home Remedies for Gallbladder
Home Remedies for Gallbladder #1 Alfalfa cleanses the liver and supplies necessary vitamins and minerals. Twice a day for two days, take 1,000 milligrams in tablet or capsule form with a glass of warm water.
Home Remedies for Gallbladder #2 Peppermint capsules are used in Europe to cleanse the gallbladder.
Home Remedies for Gallbladder #3 If you have gallstones, or are prone to developing them, turmeric can reduce your risk of further problems.
Home Remedies for Gallbladder #4 Other beneficial herbs include barberry root bark, catnip, cramp bark, dandelion, fennel, ginger root, horsetail, parsley and wild yam.
Home Remedies for Gallbladder #5 If you have an attack, drink 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of apple juice. This should relieve the pain quickly. If the pain does not subside, go to the emergency room to rule out other disorders such heart problems.