Bile is stored in the gallbladder and is sometimes also called gall.

It also covers information about bile-related medical conditions, some of which can be life-threatening.

Bile is also necessary for removing what the body cannot use.

An illustration of the liver in the body

SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images

Bile serves three main functions.

During meals, bile is released from the gallbladder through a tube called the common bile duct.

This duct connects your gallbladder and liver to yourduodenum, the first part of your small intestine.

Where is bile stored without a gallbladder?

Without a gallbladder, bile is no longer stored for later use.

Instead, it is continuously secreted into the digestive system.

His discovery helped clarify the important functions of bile acids in the body.

Discoveries related to bile are ongoing.

Bile also becomes more concentrated during this storage process.

Fatty foods that enter the duodenum prompt hormonal and nerve signals that cause the gallbladder to contract.

Classic signs include dark urine and yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Treatment may includeendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)to remove the obstruction.

Or, acholecystectomy, which is surgery to remove the gallbladder.

After this procedure, bile gets transferred directly from the liver to the small intestine.

The gallbladder is not essential to the process.

Bile duct obstruction, due to gallstones or gallbladder cancer, can actually mimic acute viral hepatitis.

Imaging can be used to rule out the possibility of gallstones orcancer.

Bile refluxis another related condition.

Bile reflux sometimes happens along withacid reflux.

Unlike acid reflux, dietary or lifestyle changes don’t usually improve bile reflux.

Treatment involves medications or, in severe cases, surgery.

Summary

Bile is made of several components, including bile acids, bilirubin, and fats.

It’s made in your liver and stored in your gallbladder until your body needs it for digestion.

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