This article is from the book, The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women , by The Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books. To send a link and summary of this article to a friend, click here . If your gallbladder is acting up, you'll know it.
Attacks are painful and can last for hours.
When To See A Doctor Women who are experiencing a gallstone attack rarely need to be coaxed to go to the doctor or hospital. While the degree of discomfort varies from person to person, the pain can sometimes be excruciating. If you feel steady, severe pain in your upper abdomen and have a fever or persistent vomiting, call your doctor or go to the hospital immediately. When it's not giving you grief, the gallbladder quietly goes about its business, which is to store and concentrate bile, a yellow-brown fluid containing cholesterol, fats, salts that break up fats and a pigment that gives bile and stools their color. The main function of bile is to help digest fats.