Test For Gall Bladder Function

Submitted on March 27, 2012

The gall bladder is a small sac like organ that assists in the process of digestion. It is not an important organ as it does not produce any hormone or enzyme on its own. It is used to store bile that is produced by the liver which is essential for digestion. In the absence of the gall bladder, normal living is possible as the liver can directly secrete bile to the stomach. However, when digesting heavy meals, the bile stored in the gall bladder will be used as an additional aid to the digestion process. The gall bladder does help improve digestion as it allows bile to be stored and to become concentrated. This improves a person's ability to break down fats in the food that is being digested.

Gallbladder Disease

Gallbladder disease usually results in the formation of gall stones in the tract that passes the bile through gall bladder and onwards into the digestive tract. Gall stones may require the complete removal of the gall bladder or may be solved through medication or ultrasonic wave therapy. Gall bladder disease may cause abdominal pain because of the increased strain in the bile ducts when bile is not flowing properly.

Methods To Execute a Gall Bladder Test

A doctor has different methods in which to execute a gall bladder test. Gall bladder function test can be done by checking the digestive system for the presence and quantity of bile during digestion. If there is a scarcity of bile fluid in the digestive tract, the liver may be tested. During a liver function test, a test for gall bladder is also done which can identify a gall bladder problem. A liver function test is also a test for gall bladder disease.

Nuclear Gall Bladder Test

A nuclear gall bladder test makes use of nuclear scanning technology. It is used to detect the presence of gall stones that will block the bile ducts. This test is performed by injecting a radioactive dye substance into the body. If the liver is functioning normally, it will remove the tracer substance and pass it through the bile duct. At this point, an imaging system may be used to locate the radioactive dye in the body. If the dye is stuck in the gall bladder, one can immediately say that the bile ducts are blocked. An ultrasound imaging test may also be conducted to check the size and shape of the gallbladder. If there is any abnormality in the structure of the bladder, this will be visible on an ultrasound.

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