Fortunately, the gallbladder can be surgically
removed when necessary; the body can get along well with- out it. Except for
keeping your weight normal, there is nothing you need do about the everyday
care of the gallbladder. Obesity increases the tendency toward gallbladder
disease. Women who have had more than one or two children are somewhat more
likely to suffer from gallstones; and in general, after age 40, about twice as
many women as men have this problem.
Once stones form, they cannot be
dissolved; sometimes, how- ever, they pass spontaneously into the intestines.
Your physician has methods of stimulating bile flow and of decreasing infection
in the gall- bladder, and these measures may reduce the formation of additional
stones. The best thing you can do for your pancreas is to avoid overweight,
which predisposes people to diabetes.
Many people suffer from constipation that is nonexistent, except in their imagination, or self-induced, or could be corrected or prevented with relatively simple measures. It is a fact-and this deserves emphasis-that constipation can be organic, that is, the result of some physical change. It can be caused by a tumor that obstructs the intestines, a stricture that narrows them, or some disease such as a hypothyroid condition.
That is why it is important to consult your physician if you have constipation, especially if it has developed fairly suddenly. This is essential for middle-aged anti older people to make certain that if a cancer does exist, it is discovered in the early, curable stage.
