What do gallbladders do

Its main job is to store about 50 percent of bile gall that is made by the liver. Your body needs bile to help break up fats. This liquid also helps you absorb some vitamins from foods. When you eat fatty foods, bile is released from the gallbladder and liver into the intestines. Food is mostly digested in the intestines. A gallbladder attack typically happens when gallstones block the bile duct or tube. When this happens, bile builds up in the gallbladder.

The blockage and swelling trigger pain. The attack normally stops when the gallstones move and bile can flow out. You can have gallstones without having a gallbladder attack. In the United States, about 9 percent of women and 6 percent of men have gallstones without any symptoms. Other types of gallbladder problems that may cause pain are:. A gallbladder attack usually happens after you eat a large meal. This occurs because your body makes more bile when you eat fatty foods.

Pain from a gallbladder attack typically differs from other kinds of stomach pain. You may have:. A gallbladder attack can lead to other complications, which would cause other symptoms. For example, it can trigger liver problems. This happens because a blockage in the duct can back up bile in the liver. This may set off jaundice — yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes. Sometimes gallstones can block the way to the pancreas.

The pancreas also makes digestive juices that help you break down food. A blockage can lead to a complication called gallstone pancreatitis. Symptoms are similar to a gallbladder attack. You may also have pain in the upper left abdomen. Only about one-third of people with gallstones will have a gallstone attack or serious symptoms. A gallbladder attack is a medical emergency that requires immediate care.

You may need treatment to prevent complications. Seek help from a doctor right away if you have any of these signs of a gallbladder attack:.

Initially, a doctor will give you pain medication to help ease the pain. You may also be given anti-nausea drugs to help relieve symptoms. Certain foods can protect and promote…. Doctors perform gallbladder removal to provide permanent relief from gallstones and other problems associated with the gallbladder. The gallbladder is an organ that stores bile.

Bile helps the digestive process by breaking down fat from food passed into your intestine. Sleeping on your left side can help manage pain caused by gallstones if you have a clogged bile duct.

Learn about other pain relief remedies and when…. Here are things to consider. Gallbladder pain can be sudden, intense, and severe. Alcohol is a known risk factor for many health conditions. However, research has shown that moderate alcohol consumption may actually help prevent…. There are five main types of Medicare. We explain what each part of Medicare covers and how to choose the…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Saurabh Sethi, M.

What is the purpose of your gallbladder? Where is your gallbladder located? What are the typical symptoms of a gallbladder issue? What are the most common gallbladder problems? What can you do to help prevent gallbladder problems? Can you live without a gallbladder? When to see a doctor. The bottom line. Read this next. A Guide to Gallstones Gallstones can block your bile duct and cause abdominal pain.

Gallbladder Diet. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. What Is Open Gallbladder Removal? Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D. Relieving Gallbladder Pain Naturally.

Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. What Are the Different Types of Medicare? It forms part of the digestive system, the intricate series of organs which work together to process food for our survival. While it can sometimes be considered a non-essential organ, it has a purpose and function. However, this oneHOWTO article will go further than simply answering the question what does the gallbladder do when it's working.

We'll also go into what the gallbladder does when it doesn't function properly, as well as going into a little about the interesting cultural heritage the gallbladder has for many communities. Have you ever heard someone say, "let's throw the pigskin around" when talking about playing catch with a football? This has led to the erroneous belief that footballs were originally made from the skin of a pig. In actuality, the reason this nickname exists is because footballs were often made from animal organs, a pig's gallbladder being appropriate for one main reason: it is hollow [1].

This allowed players to inflate and secure the gallbladder and kick it about the field with relative abandon. Human gallbladders are equally hollow, similar to our bladders where urine is stored before it exits our bodies. If a bladder is a hollow sack used to store things, then why is it a gallbladder?

It is so-called because it stores gall, another word for bile. Bile is produced in our liver and it is necessary for breaking down fats which we eat as part of our human diet. If we don't produce bile properly, we will not be able to digest food properly either, leading to potentially serious issues.

As bile is continuously produced by the liver, excess bile needs somewhere to be stored. This is where the gallbladder comes in. The gallbladder is located under the liver just off the hepatic duct which connects the two organs. Bile produced in the liver goes through the duct, which is initially two separate ducts tapering into one.

When needed, it continues through the duct and enters the duodenum the first section of the small intestine. When excess bile needs stored, it goes into the gallbladder. Gallbladders differ in size according to the size of their corresponding human, but they are around 4" long and can hold up to 1.

Like footballs, they can inflate depending on how much bile is inside, although not as much as some may think. The bile which enters the gallbladder will have changed when it exits. This is because the gallbladder also removes some water and electrolytes.