What Does The Gall Bladder Do?

The Gall Bladder is a storage vessel for liver bile. It acts as a reservoir for holding bile on its way from the liver to the intestines.

Basic Functions of the Gall Bladder

We all know that blood flows through all regions of our body. It brings nutrients and waste from cell to cell. The Liver acts as the main filter for this blood and it is the main eliminator of waste in our body. Its job is to remove all forms of waste, including dead blood cells and toxins. The waste product that is created as a result of the Liver cleansing out toxins - is bile, which is being manufactured at all times. Not being wasteful, the design of the human body actually has a use for this bile other than simple elimination. Bile is the main substance responsible for the breaking down of fat in the digestive system. The gallbladder is the organ that receives the bile from the liver and stores it until it is needed in the digestive system to break down fats and cholesterols.

The Gall Bladder - Potential Problems

There are really only three problems that can occur with the Gall Bladder, all of which are treated with surgery in the United States. These problems are:

1. The gall bladder can get irritated and swollen.
2. The gall bladder can develop stones within it.
3. The passage leading from the gall bladder to the intestines can get blocked.

There are herbal remedies for most of these situations, which are quite effective. However the best course of action to take when an individuals gallbladder is painful or infected is to consult a physician immediately. An in depth examination should be performed and the physician should determine if the inflamed patient is best served by treatment or surgery.

How do we function when the Gall Bladder is removed?

In western culture the Gall Bladder is usually removed when infected or partially blocked as a burst gall bladder is a MAJOR health risk. The removal of the gall bladder will result in a lack of smooth flow between the Liver and the individuals fat digestion. Most individuals that have had their gall bladder removed will need to either watch their fat intake, or balance their fat with bile supplements and enzymes.

Gall Bladder Removal Alternatives

There are exceptions to the surgery requirement. In China, patients are first tested by western medical physicians using state of the art laboratory tests and imaging. If the gall stone is less than 1cm, than it is safe to consider treatments rather than surgery removal. In this case, generally herbs are administered to soften and reduce any gallstones if that is a factor. The physicians will both give acupuncture and herbal medicine to stimulate the Gall Bladder to release bile. If the white blood cell count is high, indicating infection, they will give acupuncture over a four-hour period, and then re-test the white blood cell count. If it drops, then they will continue the treatment. China has the lowest number of appendix removals and gall bladder removals in the world.

This information is provided so that interested patients can recognize that Chinese Medicine has ways of treating many disorders that normally require surgery in the eyes of Allopathic Medicine. Likewise, a competent Oriental Medical Physician (LAc) will usually find signs and symptoms of Liver and Gallbladder disharmony long before severe symptoms present themselves and will work on the energetic imbalances so that illness of the physical organ can be avoided or moderated.

Other resources on the subject:

• Gall Bladder Symptom List, Understanding Gall Bladder Symptoms.
• Liver Disease Symptoms List
• Hepatitis Symptoms List
• Liver Disease Diet.
• Symptoms of Hepatitis C, as seen through the eyes of Oriental Medicine.

DISCLAIMER:
This information has not been reviewed by the FDA, and as such should not be taken as medical advice or medical fact. We request that all practitioners refer to their clinical training and experience when evaluating the true effectiveness and use of these herbs with their patients. (The organs listed in our literature, such as Liver, refer to the common Traditional Oriental Medical functional groups, and may not directly relate to the anatomical counterpart or commonly known functions at all times.) When in doubt, please refer to such texts as the Herbal PDR and peer reviewed journals for the most recent list of clinical studies as well as side affects and contra-indications. We ask that practitioners please read all the provided information in order to best acquaint themselves with all the uses and indications for this product.