What is the gallbladder? The gallbladder is an organ found behind the liver, easily recognizable because of its pearish shape. Consider the gallbladder as a sort of holding tank for bile. Bile is a mixture of water, salt, cholesterol and bilirubin, which is a pigment that…well…have you ever wondered why poop is brown? Bilirubin is ...
Gallstones effect many Americans, and women are more likely to develop gallstones than men. I was amazed to learn that 25% of women before age 60 have had gallstones and as many as 50% by the age of 75. I became one of those before-60 statistics in 2011 when I was diagnosed with gallstones. Unfortunately, ...
Gallstones occur in the gallbladder. The gallbladder stores bile made by the liver, until the bile is needed to help the body process fats. NetDoctor says that gallstones are made of bile, cholesterol and calcium salts. Size can vary from a very tiny millimeter to several centimeters. With no symptoms, gallstones can be silent and ...
A few months ago, I needed to perform my first self-administered enema, and, much to my relief, it wasn’t that difficult to do. At the time, I thought it was the worst fate to ever befall me, and because of that, I was in distress longer than I needed to be. If I had known ...
The gallbladder is a small sac-like organ located under the liver in the right upper abdomen. Its function is to store and concentrate the bile. Bile is produced by the liver and functions in digestion of fats. The bile is stored in the gallbladder and then released during a meal in response to hormonal stimulus. ...
The gallbladder is a small organ that rests on the liver. A nonessential organ, the gallbladder’s central function is the storage of bile, which is a substance used in digestion. Frequently, however tiny this organ may be, it can become the cause of a great deal of pain. Gallbladder diseases can cause nausea, digestive complications, ...
To understand what causes bilirubin in the urine, you must understand what bilirubin is. Bilirubin itself, is a pigment that is found in bile, put out by your liver. It has a yellow coloring to it. To determine whether or not you have bilirubin in the urine, a 24 hour urine collection must be taken. ...
“Your CT looked pretty clean,” the gastroenterologist advised. “No sign of active Crohn’s disease.” He started to leave the room, then turned and added, “Oh, I almost forgot. You have a small pancreatic cyst. I’ll keep track of it.” Pancreatic cysts are collections of fluid. They can occur in the head, body or tail of ...
As we age we all know someone with a bad back or we’re unlucky enough to have a bad back our self. In fact, eight percent of all adults in the U.S. experience back pain to the extent that it causes significant limitations on their daily activities, and it is the leading cause of work ...
Gallbladder surgery is not an elective surgery like a face lift. Removing a gallbladder can be life saving when the organ is showing signs of not working properly. Two of the most common reasons for gallbladder removal are gallstones and gallbladder sludge. Gallstones A gallbladder is most often removed because it contains gallstones. Cholesterol and ...
