Home>Articles> How alcohol affects the pancreas: is it worth drinking if you have pancreatitis?
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- Information on how alcohol affects the pancreas
- Alarm bells or the effect of alcohol on the human pancreas
- Diseases that pancreatitis develops
- Treatment Options
- How to restore the pancreas after alcohol
- Alcohol and the pancreas: dangerous compatibility
When drinking alcohol, people think about their effect on the body. The first in this chain to suffer are the organs of the digestive tract and the pancreas. It perceives the influence of ethanol much more sensitively than the liver. Scientists say that most patients with pancreatitis got it due to alcohol abuse
Information on how alcohol affects the pancreas
Excessive alcohol consumption leads to pancreatitis. The organ does not have enzymes capable of breaking down alcohol, so it suffers much more than the stomach.
plugs also appear in the pancreas , which over time transform into stones. They can lead to blockage of the sphincter that separates the pancreas from other organs. When clogged for a long time, they begin to digest the gland.
How can wine influence? Content:
- dyes, preservatives;
- large amounts of sugar;
- fermentation products;
- ethylene.
After the acute stage of pancreatitis, the patient is recommended a therapeutic diet, as well as a complete abstinence from drinking alcoholic beverages. Certain relief occurs only after 5 years of remission. Therefore, even the highest quality and light alcohol greatly harms the pancreas.
Alcohol is able to recreate the replacement of functional tissues with scar tissue . This becomes the main factor in the disruption of blood circulation, which carries oxygen and supplies substances valuable to the body. Such phenomena negatively affect the functioning of the pancreas. The organ is not involved in the breakdown of ethanol. When ethanol enters it, it provokes swelling of the papilla of Vater and spasm of the sphincter of Oddi. Gastric juice stagnates inside the gland, which contributes to its inflammation.
Alarm bells or the effect of alcohol on the human pancreas
Drinking alcohol for a long time is not necessary. You can take an impressive dose of strong drink once to provoke inflammation of the gland.
These symptoms mean it's time to see a doctor :
- feels sick for a long time;
- vomit that does not bring relief;
- pain localized in the abdominal cavity, most often in the upper part.
If it does not get better for a long time, the patient needs the help of doctors and long-term treatment.
Pancreatitis can be chronic . Damage to the gland does not occur immediately. Several years must pass. Due to pathologies occurring inside, numerous disruptions occur in the functioning of not only the gland, but also other organs. There is a high probability that insulin-induced diabetes mellitus will develop.
Pain in the ribs, frequent nausea, loose stools and increased gas formation indicate a chronic form of pancreatic disease.
Oncological kidney damage
Taking hot drinks three times a week or more significantly increases the risk of getting sick. This is not surprising - the kidneys filter ethanol. They have to work more actively and longer if the boy is often drunk. People over the age of sixty are especially at risk.
You can suspect something is wrong based on the following symptoms:
- a burning sensation during urination;
- blood in the urine;
- too frequent urge to go to the toilet;
- pain in the lower abdomen.
If these signs appear, it means that the kidneys are working to the limit of their capabilities, the likelihood of a tumor is very high or it has already formed. The patient must pull himself together, stop drinking and consult a nephrologist.
Diseases that pancreatitis develops
Type 2 diabetes often appears with an exacerbation of the pancreas. This is characterized by an increase in blood sugar with normal production of your own insulin. If you take alcohol and antihyperglycemic drugs at the same time, you can provoke a hypoglycemic coma.
Pancreatic necrosis is a very dangerous phenomenon. Here there is death of organ tissue, which leads to death. Needless to say, if serious illnesses are detected, a person should completely stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol with pancreas is contraindicated. Additionally, continued drinking after diagnosis can cause cancer . It does not appear in any way for a long time. A person may think that he is completely healthy until the metastases switch to other organs. Unfortunately, in this case nothing can be done to help.
pain in pancreatitis . The organ's acinar cells metabolize alcohol into toxic byproducts that damage it, and enzymes that would normally be secreted into the digestive tract build up, beginning to digest the pancreas itself. Damaged tissue promotes inflammation, which leads to further development of the disease.
Acute pancreatitis refers to painful attacks that develop suddenly and last for several days, most often as a result of crushed gallstones or alcohol consumption. Chronic exposure to ethanol over several years usually results in the first attack.
Symptoms:
- severe abdominal pain;
- swollen abdomen;
- backache;
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes and mucous membranes);
- fever;
- nausea or vomiting;
- loss of appetite;
- increased heart rate;
- low blood pressure.
What types of cancer does drinking lead to?
What kind of alcohol can you have if you have cancer? Normally - none! Today it has been established that frequent drinkers face the following types of cancer:
oral cavity;- pharynx;
- uterus;
- larynx;
- stomach;
- esophagus;
- prostate;
- liver;
- pancreas;
- mammary gland.
If “hot drinks” lead to such serious health problems, then it is clear that people who claim that you can drink alcohol if you have cancer are deeply mistaken.
Treatment Options
If you experience acute alcohol-induced pancreatitis, it is recommended that you stop drinking alcohol immediately and consult with your doctor to develop a diet plan that meets your health needs. This is your best chance to avoid future episodes of the disease and reduce your risk of developing chronic pancreatitis. If you're already in the chronic stage, it's likely that you'll need lifelong medications
It is worth understanding that the effect of alcohol on the pancreas is very serious.
Pancreatitis can have serious complications, including:
- diabetes, if there is damage to the cells that produce insulin;
- pancreas infection;
- renal failure;
- deficiency of nutrients and vitamins in food;
- cancer;
- pancreatic necrosis
- breathing problems, when chemical changes in the body affect the lungs;
- pseudocysts, when fluid collects in the pockets of the pancreas.
Important!
To diagnose acute pancreatitis, your doctor draws blood to measure two digestive enzymes: amylase and lipase. High levels of these two components mean that the disease is present. The effect of alcohol on the pancreas does not go unnoticed by your body. If you have had long-term binges or the use of strong drinks lasted for several years, you will need the help of several doctors: a psychotherapist, a narcologist, an endocrinologist and gastroenterologist, a surgeon.
tests will be carried out :
- Functional test to find out if the pancreas is producing enough enzymes.
- Ultrasound, CT and MRI.
- ERCP, in which the doctor uses a long tube with a camera on the end.
- A biopsy in which a needle is used to remove a small piece of tissue from the pancreas for study.
- Blood is drawn to confirm the test.
The disease often leads to hospitalization . Here, doctors prescribe treatment, consisting of antibiotics, medications administered intravenously and intramuscularly, and a diet or fasting is determined. Surgery is sometimes recommended if it is caused by the formation of gallstones. They need to be removed for the gland to function. Surgery is also required to remove diseased and dead tissue.
Allowed drinks when sick
Pancreatitis is a dangerous disease, and it radically changes a person’s life. It is rare that pathology is eliminated in the acute phase without signs of chronicity. More often, patients have a protracted form. With it, restrictions are imposed on the regimen and diet, which must be observed constantly, regardless of whether there is an exacerbation or remission is achieved. Thus, alcohol is prohibited for all forms of pathology, even in small doses. Sugary and carbonated drinks are strictly prohibited. Only natural ingredients will be useful. These are chamomile, fireweed, rosehip, mint or lemon balm. You can also prepare berry fruit drinks. They will support the affected organs, saturate the tissues with vitamins and microelements and stabilize the functioning of individual systems, in particular the nervous and digestive.
If you are planning a festive table and a person is determined to give up alcohol, you can use permitted drinks, fruit drinks or decoctions, pouring them into the same glasses as for alcohol. This will allow the person not to feel awkward and not raise unnecessary questions.
How to restore the pancreas after alcohol
Quitting alcoholic beverages is one of the fundamental actions on the path to recovery . If you don’t know how to restore the pancreas after alcohol, then the following recommendations are for you.
Treatment occurs with painkillers and intravenous fluids in the hospital. However, in some people the condition may not be severe, and some will require hospitalization in an intensive care unit. Such patients usually need to be closely monitored because severe cases of acute pancreatitis can damage vital organs such as the kidneys, lungs, or heart.
In some severe cases, pancreatitis can damage or kill pancreatic tissue, and if infection occurs, surgery may be required to remove the damaged or dead tissue.
Chronic alcohol-induced pancreatitis is difficult to treat . Your doctor may try to relieve pain and eating problems with medications.
Severe cramping may be relieved with options such as surgery or endoscopic ultrasound. Pancreatic enzymes are also recommended
In some cases, surgery may be done to help restore the drainage of hormones or enzymes, reduce abdominal pain, the frequency of attacks, or unblock the pancreatic duct. It is critical for patients with pancreatitis to take the right medications , follow your doctor's recommendations, and stop drinking alcohol and cigarettes to have milder and less frequent attacks.
Breast cancer due to drinking
According to statistics, about 25% of women faced with breast tumors are alcohol dependent. The importance of alcohol in relation to the development of cancer is dose-dependent. So, if a patient uses one small dose of alcohol every day, her likelihood of encountering a tumor increases by 20%, but if she is often in a state of binge drinking, then her chances of becoming a client of an oncology clinic increase by more than 50%.
Foreign researchers have found that if a girl drinks 4 glasses of wine daily, her risk of becoming a cancer patient increases by one and a half times; if she drinks 8 glasses, then by 2.3 times. This is because due to regular drinking, there is a sharp jump in the level of estrogen in the female body.
Alcohol and the pancreas: dangerous compatibility
People who already have pancreatitis are interested in the question of whether they can drink a little wine or beer. It is believed that the strength of the drink is loyal to the internal organs. In fact, it makes no difference whether you drink vodka, cognac or prefer beer and wine. There is no benefit to the pancreas. If you delve a little deeper into the data, you can see that a 0.5 liter bottle of beer contains 25.5 ml of ethanol, champagne - 90 ml, and a bottle of cognac - 200 ml. It was found that just a few sips of alcohol affect the pancreas. This means that you will not be able to feel a state of intoxication from this dose, and this is precisely what lovers of strong drinks are after. If you have been drinking alcohol continuously for a long time, you can use the detoxification service at our drug treatment center.
We strongly recommend that you monitor your health and not give in to bad habits.
Cancerous prostate lesion
Drinking affects the prostate gland in much the same way as it does the mammary gland. This is because alcoholic compounds increase the production of estrogen. An excess of these hormones disrupts a man’s hormonal balance and causes damage to the prostate.
Adenoma is very common in alcohol addicts. This is a benign neoplasm. But, if you continue to lead an immoral lifestyle and do not start treatment for prostatitis in a timely manner, very soon you may encounter a malignant tumor.
