Hi {{first_name|there}},
This is the first teaching email from the clinic, so we're starting with an organ most people only hear about when something goes wrong: the gallbladder.
What it does
Your liver makes bile around the clock. Bile helps your body break down and absorb the fat in your food. Your gallbladder is a small pouch tucked under the liver that stores that bile and concentrates it. When you eat a meal with fat in it, the gallbladder squeezes and sends bile into your small intestine right when it's needed.
When things back up
When bile sits too long or its balance is off, it can thicken and form stones. That's one of the most common reasons people end up talking with a provider about their gallbladder.
Pain under your right ribs after a fatty meal is worth bringing up at your next visit instead of waiting it out. Severe pain, a fever, or yellowing of your skin or eyes needs medical care right away.
If it's been removed
You can live without a gallbladder. Your liver keeps making bile. It just flows into your gut steadily instead of arriving in a concentrated dose at mealtime, which is why some people notice changes with certain meals afterward. That's worth talking through with your provider too, because digestion after removal can be supported.
Questions worth bringing to your next visit
Could my gallbladder be part of what's going on?
If I've had it removed, what should I watch for with meals?
Which of my labs tell us how my liver is doing?
If you want to go deeper
Nurse Doza teaches a full five-class course on this through the School of Doza, our education site: Gallbladder Health, $10, lifetime access.
And if you'd rather talk through your own situation, you can book an appointment here.
Nurse Doza
This email is for education only and isn't medical advice. For anything about your own care, talk with your provider.