The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ in your upper right abdomen, just under the liver.
🫀 What it does
It stores bile, a fluid made by the liver that helps digest fats. When you eat fatty food:
- the gallbladder squeezes
- bile is released into the small intestine
- fats are broken down for digestion
⚠️ Common gallbladder problems
- Gallstones (cholelithiasis): hard deposits of bile; very common
- Cholecystitis: inflammation of the gallbladder (often from blocked stones)
- Bile duct blockage: can cause jaundice (yellow skin/eyes)
🧾 Symptoms of gallbladder issues
- Pain in upper right abdomen (often after fatty meals)
- Pain that may spread to right shoulder or back
- Nausea or vomiting
- Bloating or indigestion
- Fever (if infected)
🏥 Treatment options
- Pain management and dietary changes (low-fat diet)
- Medicines in some cases
- Gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) if problems are frequent or severe
🧠 Key fact
You can live normally without a gallbladder—bile just flows directly from the liver into the intestine.
If you want, tell me what you’re concerned about (pain, stones, ultrasound results, etc.), and I can explain it in a more specific way.
