Are You Plagued By Gallbladder Disorders?
Underneath the liver is a pear shaped organ that is 3 to 4 inches long, it is called the gallbladder. The function of the gallbladder is to hold the bile that is excreted by the liver. The gallbladder holds the bile until food arrives into the small intestine. Then after the food arrives into the small intestine, the gallbladder releases the bile. The bile than passes through cystic and bile ducts into the small intestine. The toxins in the bile are eventually passed out of the body in the feces. Gallstones can form in the gallbladder by an abnormal concentration of bile acids, cholesterol and phospholipids that are in the bile. Doctors call the presence of gallstones, "cholelithiasis". Approximately 20 million Americans suffer from gallstones and some don't even know they have them. They will notice it though if a gallstone is pushed up out of the gallbladder and gets lodged in a bile duct. This occurrence can cause nausea, vomiting, and pain in the upper right abdominal region. This will typically occur after the individual has eaten fried or fatty foods.
A gallstone can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pea. Most of the gallstones found are cholesterol stones, and 25% of the gallstones are pigment stones. Pigment stones are made of calcium salts. If the individual has ever had intestinal surgery, cirrhosis of the liver, or blood disorders they may have an increased risk for developing pigment stones.
If you have ever suffered from gallstones you have an increased risk of developing cystitis, which is an inflammation of the gallbladder. Cystitis is very painful. You feel the pain in the right upper part of the abdomen and or across the chest. You may also feel nausea, vomiting or run a fever when you have cystitis. A person with cystitis often has coffee or tea colored urine, may experience shakes or chills and have a yellowish discoloration to their skin and eyes. There are a lot of reasons for abdominal pain including a heart attack so any chest pain should always be taken seriously and checked out immediately by a medical professional. If you do have inflammation of the gallbladder and do not receive treatment the condition can be life threatening.
If you are diagnosed with gallbladder disorder you can eat alfalfa twice a day for two days. Take 1,000 mg. in either tablet or capsule form with a glass of warm water.
Another way to cleanse the gallbladder is to use peppermint capsules.
If you get gallstones often, turmeric can help to reduce your risk for developing them.
Other herbs to take for gallbladder disorder are barberry root bark, catnip, cramp bark, dandelion, fennel, ginger root, horsetail, parsley and wild yam. IMPORTANT: Do not take barberry if you are pregnant.
Keep apple cider vinegar on hand and when you have a gallbladder attack mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of apple juice and drink it to relieve the pain quickly. If the pain does not subside you will need to go to the E.R. to be examined for diagnosis as the pain could be from gastroesophogeal disease or even a heart attack.
