In many people, the pancreas begins to fail, it becomes inflamed due to impaired bile output. Biliary pancreatitis develops, which most often affects adults. This disease is treatable, but subject to timely access to a doctor and compliance with all necessary prescriptions. Thanks to the effective treatment of the pancreas, the patient quickly returns to his usual way of life.
Features of the disease
Biliary pancreatitis occurs with cholelithiasis. It develops as a result of the reflux of fluid into the ducts of the pancreas, causing inflammation. This process indicates a malfunction of the gallbladder.
In a he althy person, the pressure in the ducts of this organ is much lower than the pressure in the ducts of the pancreas. Its increase indicates the occurrence of an obstacle that does not allow bile to carry out its current normally. This may be due to blockage of the ducts, more oftenjust stones. All this leads to the reflux of fluid into the pancreas.
Causes of disease
This pathology can occur for various reasons. Consider the most basic.
If a person suffers from cholelithiasis, then often with this disease, the digestive juice begins to stagnate due to clogging of the ducts with stones. All this leads to an increase in pressure in these pathways, contributing to the reflux of fluid into the pancreas.
With cholecystitis, an inflammatory process occurs on the surface of the gallbladder, preventing the juice from flowing normally.
Contributes to the development of biliary pancreatitis and cholangitis, which is an uncharacteristic inflammation of the ducts due to obstruction of the biliary tract and infection of the secretion.
The above diseases in combination with biliary pancreatitis cause the following changes in the pancreas:
- inflammation and degeneration;
- proliferation of connective tissue cells;
- violations in her work.
But not only these causes contribute to the onset of the disease. Seizures most often occur in lovers of delicious food. Such food can serve as a kind of provocateur of gallbladder spasms and contributes to pancreatic edema. In addition, pancreatitis develops due to overeating, eating stale or spoiled food.
How is the disease progressing?
Biliary pancreatitis can be chronic or acute. Lastarises from the use of such food, which stimulates all the processes of digestion. It can be fried meat pies, sodas, delicious snacks, fried meat.
Such food has never been considered he althy, as it promotes the movement of stones that can block the ducts in the gallbladder. Patients with a chronic course of the disease, observing moderation in their diet, can prevent the occurrence of biliary pancreatitis.
The course of biliary pathology depends on the action of stones in the bile duct. If they are small and pass well into the duodenum, then the patient's condition improves rapidly. If the movement of stones along the duct is difficult, then in this case you can fear for the life of the patient.
Symptoms of biliary pancreatitis
The signs of this disease, especially against the background of bile stasis, are quite diverse, so this pathology is quite difficult to diagnose.
Thus, if a patient has biliary pancreatitis, his symptoms may be as follows:
- The occurrence of aching pains throughout the upper abdomen, which can radiate to the back or hypochondrium. Most often, pain occurs after eating fatty, fried or smoked foods. Its increase occurs at night or two hours after eating.
- Persistent bitter taste in mouth.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Diarrhea, constipation or flatulence.
- Body temperature may rise slightly.
Acute biliary pancreatitis is characterized by sharp pains in the hypochondrium, due to spasms of smooth muscles that provoke a stone, and chronic - aching pain syndrome that lasts for quite a long time.
In addition, in the chronic form of the disease, symptoms of jaundice may occur, as the biliary tract is obstructed and the digestive juice enters the circulatory system. At the same time, the whites of the eyes and skin integuments turn yellow. In this case, treatment should be started immediately, because everything can end very sadly.
Diagnosis of disease
The patient must pass a clinical and biochemical blood test. In chronic biliary pancreatitis, there is an increase in the level of bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol, and the ratio of basic proteins, on the contrary, decreases. Amylase levels increase 3-6 times in urine and blood.
It is obligatory to carry out ultrasound of the pancreas and ultrasound of the hepatobiliary system, which allow to determine the presence of stones in the ducts, and the general condition of the pancreas is also assessed.
Effective methods such as intraductal or endoscopic ultrasound are prescribed to detect stones.
The most informative method is CT of the biliary tract, especially if a contrast agent is injected. MRCP and ERCP are also used to diagnose diseases of the pancreatic and bile ducts.
Treatment of pathology
Treatment of biliarypancreatitis is carried out under the control of a gastroenterologist, endoscopist and surgeon. So that the disease does not progress further, and also in order to prevent exacerbations, the underlying disease is treated.
If chronic pathology has turned into acute biliary pancreatitis, treatment should be carried out only in a hospital. The acute form is treated in a complex manner, with the use of drug therapy and dietary nutrition.
Biliary pancreatitis in the acute stage occurs with a strong pain syndrome, which is relieved with analgesics and antispasmodics. Also, the internal and external secretory function of the pancreas is corrected, detoxification is carried out, and infectious complications are prevented with the help of antibiotics.
With an exacerbation in the first three days, therapeutic fasting and the use of non-carbonated alkaline mineral water are necessary. After the food is resumed, be sure to limit fats in the diet, carbohydrates should also be under control.
To reduce the destructive effect of activated pancreatic enzymes, prescribe somatostatin, protease inhibitors, proton pump inhibitors. A doctor may also prescribe microspheroidal enzymes, which help repair pancreatic enzyme dysfunction. In order for blood sugar to return to normal, hypoglycemic drugs are prescribed.
Once the acute attack is relieved, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove the stones. It is done in two ways:cut into the upper wall of the abdomen (laparotomy) or make two small punctures in the abdominal wall (laparoscopy).
Possible Complications
If biliary pancreatitis is treated correctly, the patient will quickly return to his usual way of life. With advanced disease, stones can move into the bile ducts. If the disease is left to chance and nothing is done, this will lead to a deterioration in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Each time the pain will only intensify, especially after eating junk food.
In addition, advanced disease can turn into parenchymal pancreatitis. This may threaten the patient with the following:
- long-term hospital treatment;
- major surgery;
- duration of rehabilitation therapy;
- strictest diet almost all my life.
To prevent the occurrence of biliary pancreatitis, you must follow a he althy lifestyle, eat right and completely abandon alcohol.
Diet
If biliary pancreatitis occurs, the diet must be rational. During the day, the patient should eat 4-5 times, while the volume of one serving should be no more than 250 ml. Smoked, fried and fatty foods are strictly prohibited.
During the diet, the amount of protein should be increased by 25%. Thus, the patient should eat 120 g of protein products per day. But the volume of fat, on the contrary, must be reduced by 20%, and during the daytheir consumption should not exceed 80 g. Carbohydrate intake should also be reduced, and it should be 350 g per day. The amount of sugar is recommended to be reduced by 2 times from the required rate.
Conclusion
Chronic biliary pancreatitis (especially the acute form) is a very serious disease. It is important to correctly diagnose this pathology and start treatment in a timely manner, since the attacks will continue to become more frequent, causing a lot of suffering. Only surgery helps to permanently get rid of biliary pancreatitis.
