Diseases of the pancreas, primarily chronic pancreatitis, represent damage to the pancreas by various etiological (causal) factors, but having a progressive relapsing course with disruption of the intrasecretory (hormonal) and exocrine (enzymatic) functions of the pancreas, its gradual atrophy and replacement of pancreatic cells with connective ( fibrous) tissue.
Chronic pancreatitis refers to diseases that are characterized by a variety of nonspecific manifestations that depend on the phase of the disease, the cause, and the condition of other digestive organs.
Forms of pancreatitis
Acute – characterized by acute girdling pain in the upper abdomen. Pain often appears after eating fatty foods or alcohol. Unpleasant sensations can be either barely noticeable or unbearable, radiating to the scapula or sternum. Nausea, vomiting, and stool disturbances are observed. Due to the obstructed flow of bile, the skin takes on a yellowish color.
Chronic - the main localization of pain is on the upper part of the abdominal wall with irradiation to the back, chest (left side), lower abdomen. Unpleasant sensations occur after eating heavy fatty foods, alcoholic drinks, and constant stress.
The development of chronic pancreatitis is characterized by nausea, loss of appetite, bloating, bowel dysfunction, and sometimes vomiting.
The chronic form of the pathology differs from the acute form by periods of remission and exacerbation. As the disease progresses, periods of exacerbation become more frequent; intestinal disorders, disturbances in normal digestion, and weight loss are possible.
Chronic pancreatitis often causes complications (stomach bleeding, cancer, cysts and abscesses, liver damage, diabetes mellitus, enterocolitis). That is why you need to take the disease seriously and, at the slightest suspicion of the development of inflammation, consult a doctor.
Reviews
Many patients, in order to reduce the amount of medications they take, prefer to seek advice from a person who has already cured pancreatitis. Typically, such people used folk remedies and followed a strict diet. Many reviews note that the correct use of herbal remedies and other herbal remedies can significantly improve the condition and prolong remission.
Tatyana I treated pancreatitis with medications for a long time. Relief came for a short time, then worsened again. Then I decided to try folk remedies. I was treated with propolis tincture and potato and carrot juice. After the second course I noticed that pain and nausea no longer appeared.
Sergey Due to the fact that I ate erratically and drank alcohol, I developed pancreatitis. After a long treatment, I was discharged from the hospital and put on a diet. And at home my grandmother began to treat me with herbs. Every day I drank the decoctions that she prepared. After some time I began to feel much better.
Irina I have long preferred to use traditional methods of treatment. When I was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, I decided to treat myself. She ate oatmeal jelly, drank herbal teas, and made medicine from lemons and garlic. I alternated different recipes for more than six months. But after another examination, the doctor said that the condition of my pancreas had improved.
Reasons for the development of pancreatitis
The disease develops due to damage to pancreatic tissue. This happens for the following reasons:
- alcohol and tobacco abuse
- abdominal trauma, surgery
- uncontrolled and long-term use of medications: antibiotics, hormonal drugs, corticosteroids, some diuretics
- intoxication with food products, chemicals
- genetic predisposition
- improper diet with a predominance of spicy and fatty foods and long breaks between meals
Symptoms of pancreatitis
Manifestations of pathology vary depending on the form - acute or chronic pancreatitis. In acute pancreatitis the following are observed:
- The pain is intense, constant, the nature of the pain is described by patients as cutting, dull.
- High body temperature, high or low blood pressure - the patient’s well-being quickly deteriorates due to the rapid development of the inflammatory process.
- Pale or yellowish complexion.
- Nausea and vomiting - dry mouth and a white coating appear, attacks of vomiting do not bring relief. The most correct step at this moment is to fast; any food intake can only worsen the situation.
- Diarrhea or constipation - stool in acute pancreatitis is most often foamy, often with a foul odor, with particles of undigested food. On the contrary, there are constipation, bloating, and hardening of the abdominal muscles, which may be the very first signal of an acute attack of pancreatitis.
- Bloating – the stomach and intestines do not contract during an attack.
- Shortness of breath - appears due to loss of electrolytes during vomiting.
Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain - may be girdling or have a clear localization radiating to the back. Appears after eating.
- Intoxication of the body - general weakness, loss of appetite, tachycardia, increased body temperature, and decreased blood pressure appear.
- Endocrine disorders - ketoacidosis, diabetes mellitus, tendency to hypoglycemia. Bright red spots may also appear in the abdomen, back, and chest, which do not disappear with pressure.
With a long course of the disease, the patient gradually develops anemia, weight loss, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, symptoms of vitamin deficiency, and increased fatigue.
First aid for an attack of pancreatitis
To reduce pain, you can use a heating pad filled with cold water. It needs to be applied to the abdominal area, namely to the epigastric region (the area under the xiphoid process, corresponding to the projection of the stomach onto the anterior abdominal wall). This allows you to reduce the intensity of pain, slightly reduce swelling and inflammation.
The patient must comply with the hospital regime. This will reduce blood flow to the organ, and therefore reduce inflammation.
Eating is prohibited. The digestion process can cause more severe pain, nausea and vomiting. And the diet will reduce the production of enzymes that increase the inflammatory response and pain. You need to fast for 3 days. You can drink clean water without gases.
It is imperative to call a doctor for an examination, even if the patient is not exactly sure that this is an attack of acute pancreatitis. As we already know, this pathology can subside and then rapidly recur. At this time, you can take a painkiller to reduce discomfort.
Other folk methods
When treating pancreatitis at home, other recipes are often recommended. All of them have been tested by time and are effective, but it is better to consult a doctor.
Important: please note that some products may cause an allergic reaction.
Propolis has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and regenerating effects. You can chew a small piece of it before eating. But most often they use a ready-made tincture. If you add 15 drops of this remedy to 100 ml of warm milk, it will help get rid of pain and nausea.
A decoction of golden mustache is effective in reducing inflammation and relieving pain. Three leaves of this plant need to be boiled in 700 ml of water for half an hour, then left overnight. Drink three times a day before meals. Dissolve 2 g of mumiyo in 3 liters of water. Drink a glass of solution in the evening an hour after meals.
Half an hour before meals, you can take a teaspoon of pharmaceutical tincture of calendula, echinacea or eleutherococcus.
Diagnosis of the disease at the private medical clinic “Medunion”
Diagnosing this disease is not difficult, since the first signs speak for themselves. However, in order to prescribe adequate treatment, it is necessary to determine the form of the disease. To do this, the doctor performs laparoscopy - a method that allows you to examine the abdominal cavity from the inside using a special instrument.
If acute pancreatitis is suspected, laboratory tests are performed:
- General blood analysis
- Blood chemistry
- Analysis of urine
- Stool analysis
- Ultrasound, MRI or radiography of the abdominal organs
- Computed tomography according to indications
In the chronic form, the same studies are carried out, but it is better to take tests during the period of exacerbation of the disease.
Diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and its complications
- Clinical examination, anamnesis.
- Clinical blood test.
- Pancreatic tests to determine the active process in the pancreas:
- blood amylase and lipase,
- urine amylase - these indicators depend on the time of blood and urine sampling in relation to the onset of an exacerbation, therefore, blood and urine amylase is determined already in the first hours of an exacerbation of the disease, and blood lipase is determined on days 4 - 12 from the onset of an exacerbation.
- blood glucose.
- Determination of structural changes in the pancreas.
4.1. Ultrasound examination of the pancreas is the main diagnostic method for studying the pancreas and biliary system:
- determination of the size, degree of fibrosis, size of the Wirsung duct of the pancreas,
- complications of chronic pancreatitis (cysts, stones in the pancreatic duct, tumors),
- condition of the liver, biliary tract and gallbladder function (pathology of the biliary system is excluded).
4.2. Survey X-ray of the abdominal cavity (calcifications in the pancreatic ducts, duodenography in conditions of hypotension (determination of the location of the duodenum).
4.3. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy with examination of the duodenum, the area of the papilla of Vater to exclude inflammation, stricture (scar narrowings) or tumor.
4.4. Computed tomography of the abdominal cavity (if indicated).
4.5. Study of exocrine pancreatic function:
- scatological examination of stool (detection of steatorrhea),
- Elastase 1 pancreatic in feces.
Elastase 1 as a marker of exocrine pancreatic function. Elastase 1 is a proteolytic enzyme synthesized exclusively by the pancreas. This test allows you to evaluate not only pancreatic enzyme deficiency, but also evaluate the dynamics of the exocrine function of the pancreas and more accurately prescribe enzyme preparations and make a prognosis of the disease. The method has high specificity and sensitivity and is based on the use of highly specific antibodies to Elactase 1.
Determination of Elastase 1 is indicated for all diseases of the gastrointestinal tract to determine the involvement of the pancreas in the pathological process, in case of any abdominal pain and digestive disorders.
Characteristics of determination of Elastase 1 in feces:
- absolute specificity for the pancreas,
- full correlation with more labor-intensive tests (secretin-pancreozymin test),
- test results are not affected by enzyme replacement therapy,
- high specificity (93%), high sensitivity (93%),
- one stool sample is sufficient to make a diagnosis,
- high stability of pancreatic Elastase-1 allows not to limit the time of delivery of the analysis to the diagnostic laboratory,
- has no contraindications, is safe and not burdensome for the patient.
5. Identification of bacteria, viruses, parasites that are associated with chronic pancreatic diseases.
6. Determination of tumor markers of the pancreas: CA-19-9, CEA, with an increase in these indicators, which may reflect the inflammatory process, but are an indirect sign of possible transformation into a tumor form of pancreatic damage.
- Determination of gastric juice secretion (pH-metry, see Gastropanel for blood tests).
Treatment of acute pancreatitis
If acute pancreatitis is detected, the patient should be hospitalized immediately. Treatment should take place in a hospital setting, as this condition is very dangerous.
To relieve pain, antispasmodics are taken; in difficult cases, the contents of the stomach are pumped out to relieve the load on the gland.
In case of exacerbation of pancreatitis, patients require hospitalization with daily monitoring of blood parameters, water balance, leukocyte count, and enzyme levels in the blood serum during the first week. In the first 1–3 days, fasting and taking alkaline solutions every 2 hours are recommended.
During an exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis, the patient is shown therapy similar to the acute process. The patient must follow a diet throughout his life and take drugs from the group of antispasmodics and drugs that normalize the secretory function of the organ.
The most important thing in the chronic form of the disease is to maintain a diet that involves excluding fatty and fried foods from the diet. At the slightest violation of the regimen, the patient may experience discomfort and nausea. For intense pain, the doctor prescribes antispasmodics. Antisecretory therapy can be used for a short course.
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Diet for pancreatitis
For any form of the disease, the patient is prescribed a strict diet “Table No. 5p”, according to which it is forbidden to eat spicy and fried foods. All dishes are steamed, boiled or baked. Alcohol and smoking are also prohibited.
It is also necessary to limit salt intake and eat small portions 6 times a day. Dishes should always be served warm. It is necessary to exclude all products with a high content of extractives or essential oils (fish, meat broths, cocoa, coffee, etc.), fresh berries, vegetables, herbs, fruits, sour juices, carbonated drinks, marinades.
Use of medicinal herbs
The most common treatment for pancreatitis is herbs. Various decoctions and infusions of medicinal plants act gently and effectively. Those herbs that have antispasmodic, choleretic or analgesic properties are used; plants that have an antimicrobial or sedative effect are also important. Therefore, pancreatitis is usually treated with herbal remedies. It is best to purchase them at a pharmacy, but you can prepare them yourself, it is only important to follow the rules for collecting and storing herbs. Typically, plants to be collected are mixed in equal quantities.
It is also necessary to know the difference between infusion and decoction. They are distinguished by the method of preparation. The decoction is prepared for at least half an hour in a water bath, but it needs to be infused for 10–15 minutes. When preparing an infusion, the herbs can be poured with boiling water, wrapped and infused for 45–60 minutes, or in a thermos. The dosage of plant materials is usually the same - 2 tablespoons per glass of water. After straining, the prepared product must be diluted with boiled water to the edge of the glass.
To treat pancreatitis, it is better to use the most effective recipes for herbal infusions. They have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic effects, improve digestion, and protect the pancreas from destruction.
Menu for exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis
The most commonly recommended fees are:
- sage, chamomile, horsetail, elecampane, St. John's wort, calendula, wormwood, marsh grass - drink 100 ml before meals;
- dill seeds, mint, chamomile, hawthorn fruits, drink half a glass three times a day, an hour after meals;
- burdock and elecampane roots, wormwood, chamomile, calendula, St. John's wort, string, sage, drink half a glass half an hour before meals;
- knotweed, St. John's wort, birch leaves, corn silk - consume 4 times a day before meals;
- rosehip, nettle, horsetail, St. John's wort - also drink half a glass 4 times;
- celandine, dandelion root, corn silk, anise, violet, knotweed - you can drink a glass half an hour before meals.
In addition to medicinal herbal collections, pancreatitis can be treated with individual plants. The most effective are barberry, chicory, and milk thistle.
Read also: How to treat the pancreas with folk remedies
Decoctions of medicinal herbs are often used for pancreatitis.
Take a tablespoon of barberry bark infusion before each meal. And chicory is an excellent substitute for coffee, having a pleasant taste. A drink made from chicory effectively relieves inflammation, improves metabolic processes, helps get rid of heaviness in the stomach, nausea and flatulence. You can use chicory decoction in its pure form, add it to tea, or mix it with milk. Milk thistle seeds are an effective remedy for pancreatitis. They are taken in powder form, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. 1-2 teaspoons of this remedy should be eaten with water three times a day, half an hour before meals.
