Guide To The Conditions That Affect The Gallbladder

The gallbladder is an organ in the body that resembles a small pouch and is located just underneath the liver. The gallbladder is responsible for storing and concentrating bile, a substance that aids in digestion. When an individual consumes a meal, the gallbladder contracts and injects all of the stored bile into the small intestine for help with digestion. The gallbladder organ is not essential to an individual's survival and is not considered a vital organ. When an individual's gallbladder begins to do more harm due to disease or damage than it does good, the organ can be removed entirely without causing observable problems to their health. The centralized location of an individual's gallbladder causes it to be more susceptible to certain diseases and conditions known to spread from one organ to another or that cause other complications that affect the neighboring organs.

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Cholecystitis

Cholecystitis is a condition that occurs when an individual's gallbladder experiences inflammation. Most cases of cholecystitis are the result of the obstruction of the bile duct by gallstones. A tumor in the gallbladder that prevents bile from draining out of the organ can also cause cholecystitis. Other causes of cholecystitis include AIDS, viral infections, bile duct kinking, and blood vessel problems. Symptoms of cholecystitis include severe upper right abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, fever, tenderness in the abdomen when it is touched, shoulder pain, back pain, and abdominal pain that worsens after consuming a meal. Diagnosis of cholecystitis is made with the use of physical examination, CT scans, endoscopic ultrasound, abdominal ultrasound, blood tests, and hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan. Treatment of cholecystitis includes hospitalization, intravenous fluids, antibiotic medication, pain medications, fasting, and a surgical procedure to remove the gallbladder.

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