Symptoms and treatment of pancreatitis in adults

The pancreas produces pancreatic juice, which includes substances that break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. These elements begin to work when they enter the duodenum. If they began to function in the pancreas, this leads to damage to its tissues and the appearance of pancreatitis.

What causes pancreatitis

We list the factors that trigger the onset of the disease.

• Excessive alcohol consumption. Most often, this is the main reason for the appearance of pancreatitis. As a result of drinking alcohol, the amount of enzymes in pancreatic juice increases, which leads to their premature activation. Also, alcohol disrupts the functioning of the sphincter. In a normal state, it releases enzymes into the intestines, but under the influence of alcohol, the sphincter does not have time to open and pancreatic juice remains in the ducts.
• Malnutrition. The abuse of spicy and fatty foods leads to an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis.
• Gallstone disease. In 20% of cases, complications of the disease lead to the appearance of pancreatitis. Stones block the bile ducts, because of which enzymes cannot enter the pancreas, and stagnation forms.
• Infectious diseases. Pancreatitis is often a complication of viral hepatitis and influenza.

Types of Pancreatitis

Three types of the disease are distinguished.

• Chronic. Inflammation is accompanied by impaired hormonal function and digestive problems. The chronic form is more common in adults aged 35-65 years. The disease develops gradually and can progress over time.
• Acute. With this form, pancreatic enzymes begin to digest the gland, which causes severe hemorrhages. Often accompanied by problems with the bile ducts and gall bladder.
• Reactive. The disease appears unexpectedly and sharply. The reactive form leads to pancreatic spasm, due to which the enzymes in it begin to accumulate and destroy tissues. During the illness there is an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth and sharp pain under the ribs.

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Symptoms and signs of pancreatitis

Symptoms of pancreatitis depend on the form of the disease. The acute form is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen. They appear as a result of getting into pancreatic pancreatic juice. Over time, pain can spread throughout the stomach. Acute pancreatitis also has other symptoms:

• nausea and vomiting;
• muscle spasms;
• high body temperature;
• headache.

During the illness, the patient weakens, begins to sweat heavily, the skin turns pale. If you do not do treatment, a person will begin to periodically lose consciousness.

The chronic form has less severe symptoms that are similar to signs of gastrointestinal diseases. For some time, the disease proceeds in a latent form, after which the first signs appear:

• diarrhea;
• loss of appetite;
• abdominal pain after eating;
• back pain and heart pain.

When you drink carbonated drinks and fatty foods, relapses appear, accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness and nausea. If chronic pancreatitis is not treated, the following complications may appear:

• visual impairment;
• cramps
• chronic fatigue;
• low pressure.

Ignoring the disease leads to the appearance of diabetes mellitus and impaired functioning of the pancreas.

Diagnostics

It is difficult to diagnose a disease, especially if it is at an early stage. To establish a diagnosis, tests are performed and various studies are conducted.

1. Blood chemistry. With its help, the amount of enzymes is determined.
2. General blood analysis. Helps determine the level of white blood cells in the blood.
3. Ultrasound scan. It is done to study the gallbladder and other organs located in the pancreas.
4. Radiation diagnostics. Determines the location of damaged areas of the gland.

First aid

Before using the main methods of treatment, you need to familiarize yourself with how to provide first aid.

1. Lay the patient on the bed. Help lift your knees up to slightly reduce pain.
2. Put something cold on your stomach, such as a bottle or heating pad with chilled water.
3. If pain periodically worsens, use painkillers.

Folk remedies for the treatment of pancreatitis

You can cure pancreatitis and folk remedies at home. There are many recipes that will help get rid of the disease.

• Potato juice. Half a glass of kefir is added to a glass of potato juice. Means to drink a few hours before eating. The treatment lasts 2-3 weeks, after which a break is made for 5 days.
• Birch buds. 200 grams of birch buds are placed in a pan and filled with water. After this, the mixture is infused for a month in a dark room. Tincture is taken before meals, one teaspoon.
• Lingonberry. Several leaves of the plant are poured with hot water, after which three blueberries and one part of the yarrow are added to it. The drug is drunk three times a day before meals.
• Barberry. The bark of the plant is filled with water and boiled for half an hour. Before taking the mixture is cooled to room temperature. The tool is recommended for use in the chronic form of the disease, one tablespoon per day.
• Sand Immortelle. Two tablespoons of flowers are poured with water and mixed with three teaspoons of chamomile and wormwood. Take no more than 200 ml of tincture per day.

Drug treatment

During the treatment of pancreatitis, different drugs are used. You can get rid of severe pain with antispasmodics. The attending physician may prescribe Drotaverinum or No-Shpu, with which you can reduce inflammation. Also for this, Mebeverin is used, which eliminates pain in the gastrointestinal tract.

It is possible to stop the destruction of the pancreas with the help of antienzyme preparations. With their help, protein synthesis slows down and enzymes are blocked. Thanks to this, you can get rid of edema, pain and other manifestations of pancreatitis.

In the treatment of the disease, it is necessary to reduce the load on the pancreas. For this, agents with enzymes are used that help to break down fats and absorb food faster.

Often, the disease is accompanied by an increase in acid-base balance. Eliminate acidity in the digestive organs — Cimetidine, Maalox, and Almagel — will help fix the problem.

The use of mineral waters

Mineral waters help to cope with stagnation in the bile duct and pancreas, due to which the digestive tract is cleansed of bile. This stops the development of a chronic form of the disease.

Mineral water is recommended to be used only during remission. First, the daily norm of water should not exceed a quarter of a glass. In the absence of complications and pronounced symptoms, the volume of water is increased to one glass.

People with a chronic form of pancreatitis should drink heated still water, the temperature of which is about 35-45 degrees.

Proper nutrition and diet for pancreatitis in adults

A therapeutic diet is followed during an exacerbation of the disease. It is recommended to eat 3-4 times a day. You can eat the following foods.

• Milk products. It is recommended to regularly eat low-fat cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk.
• Pasta. During cooking, do not add spices and sauce.
• Fish. With pancreatitis, you can eat steam or boiled fish.
• Vegetables. It is best to eat vegetables that contain starch: beets, carrots, potatoes. Garlic and onions are also allowed in small quantities.
• Crackers. You need to buy crackers made from rye bread. Do not eat in large quantities. The daily norm is about 250 grams.
• Fruits. Useful fruits that contain fiber - strawberries, green apples and melons.
• Eggs. You can eat 2 chicken or quail eggs per day. However, they can not be eaten fried. Better to cook scrambled eggs just boil.

With pancreatitis, not all foods can be eaten, so some will have to be abandoned.

• Spicy food. Do not use hot seasonings, as they can lead to an exacerbation of the disease.
• Canned food. They contain a lot of seasonings and fats that can cause complications.
• Smoked and fried meat. Such food is very high-calorie and difficult to digest.
• Alcoholic drinks. Alcohol abuse can cause pancreatic necrosis and other serious complications.
• Mushrooms. They should be discarded, as they are very difficult to digest.

Pancreatitis is a serious disease that many people experience. To reduce the likelihood of pathology, you need to get rid of bad habits, find out the symptoms and causes, periodically be observed by a gastroenterologist and undergo preventive treatment.

Watch the video: Surviving Chronic Pancreatitis - Becky's Story - Nebraska Medicine (November 2024).