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Gall Bladder Diseases: Functions, Causes, Symptoms, Types, Tests, and Treatment

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Gall Bladder Diseases: Functions, Causes, Symptoms, Types, Tests, and Treatment

Gall Bladder Diseases: Functions, Causes, Symptoms, Types, Tests, and Treatment

The gall bladder is an important component of the digestive system. The small pea-shaped organ is responsible for the storage and concentration of bile produced by the liver.

The gall bladder is an important component of the digestive system. The small pea-shaped organ is responsible for the storage and concentration of bile produced by the liver. This organ is situated beneath the liver and is one of the important components responsible for the digestion of food. The bile is secreted in the small intestine, which helps to break down the fats present in the diet. The gall bladder works silently and helps in the digestion, but there are various abnormalities which are related to the gall bladder and these conditions include infection of the gall bladder, inflammation of the gall bladder, stones or even cancer. Gall aids fast digestion, so a person without gall gallbladder can live a normal life but may have some digestive issues. 

Gall Bladder

There are various functions of the healthy gallbladder and the most prominent being storage and concentration of bile produced by the liver. This bile fluid is then secreted in the small intestine, which helps in the digestion of dietary fats. The fluid is strong and helps in the easy digestion of the blood and breaks down solid fats more easily. Easy digestion helps to assimilate more energy from the food and helps the gut to work smoothly. A healthy gut is important for the overall health of the person and also helps to drive more energy from the food.

List the Functions of Gall Bladder

  • There are various functions related to the Gall bladder and these include:
  • It helps to concentrate the bile collected from the liver
  • The gall bladder is an important component of the digestive system, which aids digestion
  • The gall bladder releases bile after taking fatty food
  • It helps to digest food more easily
  • It produces bile into small intestine

List the Causes of Gall Bladder Diseases

There are various causes or reasons that can lead to the condition of gall bladder diseases and these include:

  • Cholelithiasis (Gallstones): When there is the deposition of bilirubin or cholesterol which hardens and blocks the way of bile by forming stone-like structures.
  • Gallbladder Infections: There are various types of infections which can inflammated the gallbladder leading to pain. The condition can be acute or chronic which may last for short or long durations of time.
  • Deposition of sludge: There are chances of deposition of sludge in the ducts of the gallbladder leading to the condition of infection or gallbladder abnormality.
  • Narrow ducts leading bile problems: If the ducts leading to the small intestine are narrow scarring, this can lead the condition of infection in the backup bile and affect the gallbladder.
  • Cancer and Tumors: Although the condition of cancer and tumors is rare in the gallbladder but these can also lead to abnormality of the gallbladder.
  • Family history: A Family history of gallbladder abnormalities can also affect the functioning of the gallbladder.
  • Obesity: This is also one of the causes of gallbladder abnormalities and limits the functioning of the gallbladder.
  • Pregnancy: Hormonal imbalance during pregnancy can affect the functioning of the gallbladder.

List the Symptoms of Gallbladder Disease

Various symptoms indicating the abnormality in the gallbladder include:

  • Pain in gallbladder
  • Pain in right upper abdomen
  • Radiating pain from the back
  • Radiating pain from right shoulder blade
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Bloating
  • Indigestion
  • Jaundice
  • Yellowing of the skin 
  • Yellowing of eyes 
  • Fever
  • Chills

Gall Bladder Disease Types

There are various conditions which can affect the functioning of gallbladder and these include:

  1. Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)
  2. Acute Cholecystitis
  3. Chronic Cholecystitis
  4. Choledocholithiasis
  5. Gallbladder Polyps
  6. Gallbladder Cancer
  7. Acalculous Cholecystitis

List of Tests used for the Detection of Gallbladder Abnormalities

Ultrasound Abdomen (Book Now)

HIDA scan (cholescintigraphy) (Book Now)

MRCP (Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography) (Book Now)

Gall Stone Analysis (Book Now)

GallBladder Cancer Package (Book Now)

List of Treatments used for the Condition of Gall Bladder Diseases Includes:

There are various treatments for the conditions of Gall Bladder Disease depending on the cause of the abnormality. Here is the list of treatments used for various gallbladder abnormalities and these include:

Monitoring: If the gallstones are without symptoms or pain, doctor advises to monitor the condition

Surgery: If there are gallstones with the symptoms of pain and other conditions, doctors prefer to go for surgery. In case of the gallbladder tumor and cancer, surgery is the preferred treatment option.

Medications: In some cases of infection and inflammation, medications are advised for the treatment purpose.

ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography): This procedure involves the removal of stones from the bile ducts.

List the Preventive Measures to avoid Gallbladder abnormalities

Here is the list of preventive measure to avoid gallbladder abnormalities and these include:

  • Try to maintain healthy weight
  • Try to avoid fast weight loss techniques or medications
  • Always keep a check on fried food
  • Keep a check on high-fat food
  • Try to be always active and avoid resting too much of resting

Conclusion

The gallbladder is important for digestion, which helps to aid the digestive process by secreting bile into the small intestine. There are various conditions which can lead to abnormalities in the gallbladder, these include infection, inflammation, cancer, injury etc. These conditions can limit the functioning of the gallbladder and sometimes are very painful conditions. There are various tests used for the detection of gallbladder abnormalities and these include ultrasound, blood tests, MRI, LFT etc. These tests are used to look for the degree of abnormality and the best treatment for these conditions. There are various treatments like surgery, medications, removal of gallstones etc. A person should always keep a check on the working of the gallbladder and go for routine checkups to look for the conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Can a person live without gallbladder?

Yes, a person can live a healthy life without gallbladder.

What is the best treatment for gallbladder cancer?

Surgical removal of gallbladder is best treatment for gallbladder cancer.

What are the preventive measures of avoiding gallbladder abnormality?

There are various preventive measures for gallbladder abnormalities like eat fiber food, maintain weigh, avoid losing weight fast etc.

What are the symptoms of gallbladder stones?

Abdominal pain and radiating pain from shoulders are some of the symptoms of gallstones.

When to go for gallbladder test?

When person suspects any radiating pain in abdomen, he should look for gallbladder test.

Can USG abdomen detect gallbladder stones?

Yes, USG abdomen is effective tool in detecting gallbladder stones.

What are the treatments for gallbladder conditions?

Treatments for the gallbladder conditions include surgery, medications, removal of gallstones etc.

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