Q: I used to have gallbladder attacks every so often. Lately, though, they’ve been more frequent. My doctor’s talking surgery, but there has to be another way. Is there anything else I can try?

Dr. Wright: Good news — it is possible to prevent most gallbladder attacks, and the way to do it is simple. The big secret — one surgeons don’t want you to know — is that gallstones don’t cause most gallbladder attacks, allergies do. In fact, allergies cause more than 99.9 percent of all gallbladder attacks.

Avoid your food allergies, and in some cases, other allergens as well, and keep your gallbladder.