What Your Gallbladder Does (And When It Needs Help)

Author: Dr. William Reid Shepard

Many of my patients don't know much about their gallbladder until it starts causing issues — let's look at this small but important organ and when you should be concerned.

What is Your Gallbladder?

Your gallbladder is a small organ which lies under the liver on the right side of your abdomen (belly). It stores bile, a fluid made in the liver important for the digestion of fat.

When you eat something, your gallbladder squeezes the stored bile into your digestive system, helping break down fat so your body can use it.

When Things Go Wrong

The most common gallbladder condition is gallstones. Gallstones are small, hard pellets formed of bile material, ranging in size from grains of sand to a golf ball. Gallstones may not always cause issues, but they can block the flow of bile, resulting in pain and inflammation.

What to Watch For

Symptoms of a gallbladder condition include:

• Pain in your upper right abdomen which spreads to your shoulder or back
• Pain that gets worse after eating greasy or fatty foods
• Skin or eyes turning yellow
• Nausea, vomiting, fever, or chills

These symptoms may mean something is blocking your gallbladder, and you need medical help. Left untreated, these problems can become life-threatening.

Who is at Risk?

A variety of conditions can contribute to gallstones. You are more likely to develop gallstones if you are overweight, have a sedentary lifestyle, or if you lose weight rapidly.

The Bottom Line

If you experience upper right abdomen pain after eating fatty foods, nausea, vomiting, jaundice or fever, talk to your healthcare provider.

And if gallstones are causing problems, we may need to remove your gallbladder through surgery. This is a common procedure, and people lead normal, healthy lives without one; your liver still makes bile, flowing directly into your intestine instead.

Gallbladder problems won't fix themselves. If something feels wrong, let's talk about it before it becomes an emergency.

Dr. William Reid Shepard is a board-certified general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive surgical procedures at Barton Health. To learn more about general surgery services at Barton Health, call 530.543.5691.