This article will look at the symptoms and treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
This is a pathology that is a progressive damage to the pancreas, which is inflammatory in nature and provokes failures of intrasecretory and exocrine functions. During the period of exacerbation of the permanent form of the pathology, some painful sensations appear in the upper peritoneal part and in the hypochondrium on the left, various dyspeptic disorders in the form of nausea, gag reflex, heartburn and swelling, yellowing of the skin and sclera can also be observed. After a correct diagnosis, one should proceed to the treatment of chronic pancreatitis, determined by the attending physician in each case individually.
Forms of pathology
This chronic disease is classified according tothe severity of their course:
- Mild severity, when exacerbation is observed infrequently (no more than twice a year). Attacks, as a rule, are short-lived, and pain sensations manifest themselves insignificantly, they are very easy to stop. The patient does not lose weight, and the exocrine functions of the pancreas are preserved, that is, there are no pronounced signs of pathology.
- Moderate severity, when an attack occurs several times a year, and it lasts for a long time with rather pronounced painful symptoms. In the analysis of feces, an increased content of fats, protein, muscle fibers is noted. The patient's weight may decrease, and the exocrine function of the pancreas is slightly impaired.
- Severe course, when the patient has regular and prolonged attacks (more than 5 times a year), accompanied by intense pain and severe symptoms. The patient loses a lot of weight, he has bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. Sometimes such adverse effects as diabetes mellitus, narrowing of the duodenum can join, which is a consequence of an increase in the size of the pancreatic head.
Treatment of chronic pancreatitis and cholecystitis will be discussed below.
Main causes of disease
As with the acute form of this pathology, experts consider excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and cholelithiasis to be the main causes of chronic inflammation in the pancreas.
Alcohol has a very toxic effect on the parenchyma of this organ, and during the development of cholelithiasis, inflammation occurs due to the infection from the biliary tract through the vessels of the lymphatic system to the pancreas, as well as during the formation of hypertension of the ducts through which bile passes or its casting inside the gland.
Provoking factors
Other important factors that contribute to chronic pancreatitis are:
- Sustained increase in the concentration of calcium ions in the blood.
- Cystic fibrosis.
- Abnormally high levels of lipoproteins or lipids.
- Using certain medications.
- Prolonged stasis of secretions produced by the pancreas.
- Autoimmune pancreatitis.
- Pancreatitis, which is hereditary.
- Idiopathic pancreatitis of unknown nature.
The most effective remedies for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis will be presented in the article.
Symptoms of a pathological condition
Chronic forms of pancreatitis, as a rule, are associated with inflammatory processes in the gland, as well as some structural transformations inside its tissue. Experts believe that the main difference between this form of pathology and acute is the progression of disorders within the organ itself, even when the root cause is eliminated. As a result, the patient may feel signs of exogenous and endogenous deficiency in the gland.
So the mainthe symptoms of this disease are:
- The initial stages of the inflammatory process in the body, which last for about several years. During this period, the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis may either appear or disappear. The next stage of the pathology begins from the time when the manifestations of chronic pancreatitis begin to haunt a person regularly.
- For several years, the patient may complain of painful symptoms in the form of a short-term pain syndrome that bothers him after some time after eating. Similar discomfort continues, as a rule, from one hour to several days. The place of its concentration is the upper abdomen, and sometimes pain can be felt near the heart or in the lumbar region. In some cases, it is encircling in nature. Its intensity can be reduced by squatting or bending forward.
- Discomfort and other unpleasant manifestations of pancreatitis often do not appear spontaneously, but are usually the result of drinking alcohol or fatty and fried foods. In addition, chocolate and coffee can provoke an exacerbation. Such phenomena are due to the fact that the pancreas is not able to simultaneously cope with different types of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, so those patients who try to eat properly are rarely prone to inflammation of the gland.
Associated symptoms
Attacks of pain syndrome may be accompanied by such manifestations of pancreatitis as diarrhea, nausea, gag reflex, flatulence, weight loss. These symptoms are worrisome.the patient is not always, and during therapy, you can quickly eliminate the signs of dyspepsia and continue to lead a normal life until the next exacerbation occurs.
If the pathological process becomes permanent, and the patient does not carry out the necessary treatment of chronic pancreatitis, the structure of the gland becomes subject to destructive changes. In this case, there are signs of enzyme and hormonal deficiency. The phenomena of dyspepsia are predominantly manifested, which are very unpleasant and disrupt the normal course of a person's life.
The skin and sclera of such patients gradually acquire a yellowish tint, which disappears if adequate therapy is carried out for pathological disorders in the functioning of the gland.
If it is completely atrophied, then the patient may begin to develop such a serious disease as diabetes mellitus.
Other symptoms
With some other types of inflammatory processes in the chronic form of pancreatitis, the following symptoms occur in the gland:
- Asymptomatic, when for a long period of time the patient does not know that he has this disease.
- Dyspeptic inflammation - a person develops the main symptoms of the disease: diarrhea, flatulence, weight loss, etc.
- Pain inflammation when a person suffers from severe pain, usually after eating or drinking.
- Pseudotumor inflammatory processes that are characterized bysymptoms very similar to oncological processes in the pancreas, but, in addition, a person has yellowness of the skin and sclera.
Complete diagnosis and treatment of chronic pancreatitis in adults can be done after consultation with a specialist gastroenterologist.
Complications of pathology
These include:
- Abscess of the pancreas.
- Formation of false cysts.
- Pancreatic necrosis, when the process of necrosis of gland tissue begins.
- Pulmonary complications.
- Pancreatogenic ascites.
- Fat.
- Diabetes mellitus.
When complications occur, the nature of the manifestations of the disease changes: the localization and intensity of the pain syndrome often changes, while the pain can become constant.
Diagnosis of pathology
Therapeutic techniques aimed at eliminating the symptoms and causes of the chronic type of this disease follow after passing certain diagnostic measures, which include:
- Determination of the presence of changes in the content of elastase in the urine is the main method of clinical research in inflammation of the pancreas.
- Definition of steatorrhea, that is, the presence of undigested fat in the feces.
- Performing special research tests for gland stimulation.
- Ultrasound.
- Computed tomography.
- Blood glucose testing and susceptibility testing.
The sooner a person receives qualified help, the faster the process of treating the disease will begin and it will be most effective.
The most reliable data for the detection of pancreatitis and its varieties are obtained through a complete examination of the patient's body. When diagnosing this disease, the following stages can be distinguished:
- Assessment of the main clinical manifestations of the disease.
- Study of biochemical indicators.
- Performing certain enzyme tests.
- Instrumental research methods.
Instrumental diagnostics includes:
- Ultrasound of organs located in the abdominal cavity. Using this method, you can detect the presence of stones in the ducts, as well as the degree of enlargement of the pancreas.
- X-ray diagnostics, which establishes the presence of intestinal paresis, as well as atelectasis (falling sections of the lungs) and the presence of effusion into the pleural cavity.
- Gastroduodenoscopy method that detects swelling of the stomach and duodenum 12.
- Angiography, which reveals structural and functional changes in the work of blood vessels, as well as deformed and displaced arteries.
Treatment of chronic pancreatitis
In acute inflammation, treatment is possible only in a hospital, while chronic types of this disease can be treated on an outpatient basis.
As a rule, this type of pathology is characterized by the occurrence of acute attacks,accompanied by unbearable pain.
If the pain is very intense, the specialist may prescribe the patient the use of some antispasmodics ("Drotaverine", "No-Shpa"), which significantly reduce or completely eliminate pain.
Attacks are often removed in a hospital setting, where conservative methods of treating chronic pancreatitis are usually used.
Medicines
Drug therapy, which is used to eliminate the symptoms of a chronic type of disease at home, includes the use of the following medicines:
- When frequent bouts of vomiting occur, medications are used to normalize the water-s alt balance (solution "Sodium chloride").
- To restore the disrupted functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, some enzyme medicines are taken that can replace the gland enzymes that are absent during the disease: Pancreatin, Creon, Festal.
- Therapy with vitamins. In the treatment of chronic types of pancreatitis, additional use of vitamins A, C, E, D, K, as well as group B is prescribed. In addition, cocarboxylase and lipoic acid are prescribed.
- Parenteral nutrition with the use of medications "Alvezin", "Alveein", "Aminosol".
Drugs for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis should be selected by a doctor. The treatment of this disease, which occurs in a chronic form, involves the observance of a special diet, the use of painkillersdrugs, vitamins, enzymes, prevention of diabetes and some other endocrine disorders.
Surgical treatment of pathology
Surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis is required in case of a diffuse inflammatory process in the peritoneum, with purulent complications, increasing jaundice and destruction of the ducts and gallbladder.
Operations can be:
- Emergency, which are carried out at the beginning of the development of the disease. Urgently operating on patients with enzyme-induced peritonitis and acute pancreatitis due to obstruction of the duodenum.
- Planned, which are carried out after an acute process in the pancreas. Before surgery, the patient must be carefully examined to identify comorbidities that may disrupt the course of the surgical event.
Treatment of chronic pancreatitis with folk remedies
Herbal therapy can be considered as an adjunct in complex drug treatment, which is prescribed by a specialist and combined with a diet. Pain in the process of exacerbation is eliminated, swelling is removed and the inflammation process decreases.
Duration of alternative treatment of chronic pancreatitis is on average 1-2 months.
Quite a popular collection of the following ingredients:
- dill - 30 g;
- chamomile officinalis - 10 g;
- peppermint - 30g;
- blood red hawthorn - 20g;
- sandy immortelle – 20 g.
Dry collection is crushed. 2 tbsp. l. pour 2 cups boiling water, insist for a couple of hours. Take half a cup after meals up to 3 times a day. The collection is an antispasmodic, anesthetic, antimicrobial, tranquilizer and choleretic agent.
Treatment of chronic pancreatitis at home should be supervised by a physician.
There is another very effective folk remedy:
- calamus root and dandelion - 50 g each;
- thyme, hop cones, nettle roots - 25 g each;
Mix everything and to 5 tbsp. l. mass add 0, 2 kg of honey. Take 2 tsp. twice a day for a month.
In treating the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis, diet is of the utmost importance.
Diet
Food is added to the menu, which is easily digestible, does not excite the secretion of gastric juice too much and at the same time saturates with vitamins. It is unacceptable to use marinades, fatty, fried and spicy foods, strong broths, alcohol. Products from cereals, non-acidic fruits, potatoes, honey are sources of carbohydrates. Lean meats and fish are protein suppliers. Butter supplies fat.
In the course of therapy, canned food, smoked meats, fried foods, brown bread, pastries, caffeine, high-fat dairy products, raw vegetables and fruits, soda, spices, alcohol are excluded. Mineral water is acceptable, but not cold or carbonated.
So, the main principle of prevention ismaintaining a normal diet, quality products and avoiding alcohol.
We looked at the symptoms and treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
