Gallstones and Gallbladder Disease: What are the symptoms of a low functioning gallbladder?
Gallstones and Gallbladder Disease The gallbladder looks like a partially collapsed toy balloon. It is attached to the underside of the liver, tucked away under the middle of the ribs on the right side. The bile which is produced in the liver from destroyed red blood cells is temporarily garaged in the gallbladder. With meals the gallbladder contracts and passes its bile through the bile ducts into the intestine. Bile facilitates the digestion of fatty foods. The gallbladder is not necessary for health, digestion or good living. Some animals do not have gallbladders horses and rats, for example, do well without it. In humans, for reasons that are not clearly understood, the fluid content of the gallbladder can change and form stones. These stones within the gallbladder can vary in size from a small pickle to a pebble to sandlike granules. The most frequent problems in gallbladder disease result from the damage these stones do to the organ that contains them. The gallbladder wall m...