Even though the gallbladder is a small organ, it can have a big effect on your overall health. That is, problems with your gallbladder can have a big effect on your day-to-day quality of life, especially if gallstones or other problems with your gallbladder get worse.
In light of this, we’re going to talk about everything you need to know about the gallbladder, from long-term health problems caused by the gallbladder to ways to keep your gallbladder healthy.
How Much Does a Gallbladder Weigh?
One of the smallest organs in the body is the gallbladder, which is also called the cholecyst. The tiny organ sends bile from the liver to the small intestine. It acts as a link between the liver and the small intestine. Since the gallbladder is hollow all the way through, it only weighs 2 to 2.5 ounces. This is about the same weight as a tennis ball or two AA batteries, to give you an idea.
How Big Is a Gallbladder, on Average?
The gallbladder is pretty long for how heavy it is. In fact, the average gallbladder is about 3 to 4 inches long. Also, the organ is usually an inch and a half wide. Because it is so small, it can only hold up to 100 millilitres (.001 litres) of bile before releasing it through the bile duct into the small intestine.
What role does the gallbladder play?
The gallbladder’s job is to get rid of bile, which helps the liver and small intestine. Its job is to store bile, which is also called “gall” and is eventually sent to the small intestine. Depending on what’s in the gallbladder, this bile is broken down at different rates by the gallbladder.
For example, bile that has a lot of fat or oil in it will take longer to move through the gallbladder and into the small intestine walls. This is often what makes people feel bloated after a meal. In the end, the gallbladder acts as a temporary place to store bile and is part of the body’s system for getting rid of waste.
Common health problems with the gallbladder
Even though the gallbladder is only about the size of a pea, a bad gallbladder can do a lot of damage to your health. After all, the gallbladder works with the liver and the pancreas to get rid of the waste in your body.
If your gallbladder is hurt or inflamed and can’t get rid of waste, you may feel pain, fever, chills, throw up, and more. Some of the most common health problems with the gallbladder are the following:
Gallstones happen when substances in the blood or bile form hard deposits in the gallbladder. This makes it hard for the gallbladder to drain bile and do its other important jobs.
Choledocholithiasis happens when gallstones block the ducts of the gallbladder. When bile gets stuck in the gallbladder and can’t get to the intestines, pain, fever, and jaundice can happen, among other things.
Cholecystitis is when the gallbladder gets infected and swells up. This could happen just once, or it could happen over and over again. Acute cholecystitis is usually caused by gallstones, which cause pain in the abdomen after a meal. Chronic cholecystitis can hurt the gallbladder and lead to the need for surgery.
Gangrene is caused by acute cholecystitis that isn’t treated. This happens when the gallbladder doesn’t stimulate enough blood flow, which can cause fever, nausea, and confusion.
Gallbladder Abscess: This is also called empyema and happens when pus fills up the gallbladder. If you don’t treat this condition, it could kill you. Symptoms usually include fever, chills, and pain in the stomach or abdomen.
Polyps in the gallbladder are growths that happen in the gallbladder. They are usually not cancerous and don’t cause any symptoms, but if they get big enough, they may need to be removed.
Sclerosing Cholangitis: This happens when the bile duct is inflamed over and over again, causing the gallbladder to scar. Half of the people who get sclerosing cholangitis won’t have any symptoms, but jaundice, fever, and pain can happen quickly.
Biliary dyskinesia is a condition in which the gallbladder doesn’t work as well as it should. It is often caused by chronic inflammation. Some of the signs are pain after eating and trouble digesting.
Acalculous Gallbladder Disease: This is when the gallbladder is inflamed but doesn’t have any gallstones. It often has symptoms that are the same as gallstones or acute cholecystitis.
Gallbladder cancer is a rare type of cancer that affects about 4,000 Americans each year. People with gallstones and chronic inflammation have a higher chance of getting gallbladder cancer. Even though gallbladder cancer starts in the gallbladder’s inner walls, it can spread to other important organs like the liver.
What are stones in the gallbladder?
Gallbladder stones, which may be called gallstones more often, are hard deposits that form in the gallbladder and bile ducts. Most of the time, these stones are made of hardened cholesterol or bilirubin, which is made from red blood cells that have been broken down in the liver. Most stones are made of cholesterol. These rocks can be as big as a golf ball or as small as a grain of sand.
People often have more than one small stone in their gallbladder. Some people with gallstones may feel pain, especially if smaller stones get stuck in the bile duct or if they have been there for a long time and caused inflammation, scarring, or damage. Some people may never have any symptoms, so they might not know they have gallstones.
If gallstones are blocking the bile duct or causing symptoms, surgery may be needed. The gallbladder helps the liver get rid of waste, but it is not a necessary organ. Gallstones may need to be removed during surgery, or in some cases, the gallbladder may need to be taken out completely. A scope can also be used to remove gallstones without surgery. When gallstones cause pain, they can lead to pancreatitis and other painful conditions if they are not treated. If a person has no symptoms and the gallstones aren’t making it hard for their gallbladder to work, they may not need treatment.
How to Take Care of Your Gallbladder
Most of the time, changing your diet is all it takes to keep your gallbladder healthy. For example, eating foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes that are high in fibre can help keep gallstones from forming. On the other hand, too much sugar and carbs can cause problems with your gallbladder, so cutting back on both can help your gallbladder work better. The health of your gallbladder can also be improved by eating more healthy fats and oils and less unhealthy fats.
Keeping your weight at a healthy level for your body can also help your gallbladder work. But you should remember that crash diets, weight-loss surgery, and not eating enough can make you more likely to get gallstones and other painful conditions. In some cases, a gradual, healthy weight loss that comes from being active every day can make it much less likely that you’ll get gallstones. People who are more likely to get gallstones may benefit from taking preventive medicines like ursodiol, which breaks up gallstones before they can fully form.
