The gallbladder is a small sack just under the liver. A healthy gallbladder stores bile made by the liver. This bile is used during digestion to help break down fats. After a meal, the gallbladder squeezes out the bile it’s holding through tubes called ducts into the small intestine.Sometimes substances in the bile will crystallize. These crystallized substances are called gallstones. Most gallstones are harmless, but they can cause pain, nausea, inflammation, and occasionally infection. Gallstones are a fairly common occurrence, and most will eventually make their way out of the body through the same ducts into the small intestine as non-crystallized bile substances.
When gallstones cause pain, it’s known as a gallbladder attack. Gallbladder attacks most often happen suddenly, lasting anywhere between a few minutes and several hours. The following list is offered to help you better understand the signs and symptoms of a gallbladder attack.
