Since you have consumed this kind of diet regularly, you can’t quite figure out what is wrong.  Lately you have noticed a subtle pain under your right rib cage and you find yourself belching frequently.  Heart burn has also been a problem – especially after you eat your favorite cheeseburger lunch.  You talk yourself into ignoring the symptoms and try to continue your daily routine, but your stomach just doesn’t seem to settle down.

The next day you have a double omelet and a two sausage patties for breakfast in anticipation of a full day of sitting at your computer at work.  Suddenly the right side discomfort is back - only this time it is too severe to ignore.  You double over in pain, become nauseated and start sweating profusely.  You rush to the ER, certain that you are having a heart attack.

Upon admission, an ultrasound of the abdomen reveals that you have significant gallbladder disease with multiple stones visualized in your gallbladder.  You can’t figure out how this has happened to you.

The gallbladder is located behind the liver on the right side of the body and collects the bile which is manufactured by the liver.  Bile is necessary for the digestion of fat.  It is stored in the gallbladder but is excreted into the duodenum through the common bile duct once food is eaten.

Gallbladder disease is very common, often has a genetic component and appears most frequently in people over the age of 40, although younger women with a family history might become victims.  Over 20 million Americans suffer from gallbladder disease.  The profile of a typical gallbladder victim used to be described as ‘fat, fertile, forty and female,’ however men do develop the disease as well.  Obesity and a poor diet often play a significant role in the formation of gallstones.  Eating foods high in refined sugar and flour, consuming meat high in fat and not eating sufficient fruits and vegetables causes the bile that is stored in the gallbladder to become sluggish, leading to the formation of stones.  Crash diets and sudden weight loss also contribute to the development of gallbladder disease.

Stones in the gallbladder may be of various sizes, some quite large.  Small stones may slip into the common bile duct which leads to the duodenum, causing excruciating pain.  Inflammation of the gall bladder also may occur, causing considerable right sided pain, fever, chills, and fatigue.  While inflammatory gallbladder disease used to be the reason for immediate gall bladder removal, the prevailing philosophy is to give antibiotics and wait to see if the inflammation subsides. 

Once gallbladder disease is diagnosed, the options for treatment are numerous.  In some cases the victim is told to avoid fatty foods and to modify their diets to include more fiber.  In other cases medications are given in an effort to dissolve the gallstones.  If the attacks persist, then surgical removal of the gall bladder may be necessary.  Laparoscopic techniques where a tiny scope is inserted through a small incision at the belly button, nabs the gallbladders and removes it back though the tiny incision  have significantly reduced  post operative complications while permitting rapid recovery of patient.  Although in some cases traditional gallbladder surgery is still done, such as in severe inflammation or the possibility of cancer of the gallbladder or common bile duct, it has become a rare occurrence.

If you take care of your gallbladder, then your gallbladder will take care of you.  Eat plenty of high fiber foods and avoid foods high in fat and refined sugar and flour.  In other words, forget the double cheeseburger – your gallbladder will thank you for it.