Tea Time: Gall Bladder
- Gallbladder is a small organ that holds bile (produced by the liver) and releases it into the small intestine to aid in fat digestion
- Potential conditions
- Gallstones – could cause pain, nausea, inflammation
- Infection – could be caused by gallstones; causes pain and fever, may require surgery
- Cancer – rare
- Gallstones blocking ducts to pancreas – causes inflammation of pancreas, very serious
- Treatments
- Surgery (gallbladder removal)
- Antibiotics
- Chemo/Radiation
- Ursodeoxycholic acid – oral med to dissolve gallstones
- Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy – high-energy shock waves to break up gallstones
- Contact solvent dissolution – chemicals injected into gallbladder to dissolve gallstones (rarely used)
- Dietary treatment
- Low-fat diet for gallstones
- After surgery
- small, frequent meals
- avoid caffeine
- avoid fatty and spicy foods
- increase fiber slowly
- Some people continue to need to limit fat in their diet
- Prevention
- Healthy diet – high in fiber, fruits, veg, healthy fats
- Physical activity
- Avoid rapid weight loss
- Risk factors
- diabetes
- crohn’s or other intestinal disorders
- excess weight