How to treat the pancreas: symptoms and doctor's advice on how to eat with pancreatitis

Glands are organs of the human body, formed by secretory cells that produce specific substances of various chemical structures, for example, hormones. In total, two types of glands are distinguished: endocrine and exocrine. Exocrine glands produce mucus and secretions into the organ cavity and in most cases are composed of goblet epithelial cells. Endocrine glands are part of the endocrine system, consist only of glandular tissue and are responsible for the formation of hormones that perform a regulatory function. There are mixed glands that perform exocrine and endocrine functions.

One of them is the pancreas - the largest gland in the human body, which is part of the digestive system. The second name for the organ is pancreas (from the Latin word "páncreas"). The pancreas performs essential functions: it secretes digestive enzymes (amylase, protease and lipase), as well as hormones such as insulin, somatostatin and glucagon. An endocrinologist is engaged in the treatment of diseases of the pancreas, in some cases it may be necessary to consult specialized specialists: a gastroenterologist, cardiologist or proctologist. To understand how to treat the pancreas, you need to listen to the advice of doctors and know the symptoms of pathology.

How to understand that the pancreas hurts?

The pancreas is located in the retroperitoneal space behind the stomach (projection onto the posterior wall of the peritoneum in the epigastric region). With inflammation of the organ, a person experiences pain in the left abdomen, arising under the left costal arch and radiating to the area around the umbilical ring. The pain can occur suddenly or last continuously, intensifying within an hour after exposure to a provoking factor. Most often, all the unpleasant symptoms in diseases of the pancreas appear after eating. In chronic inflammation, pain in the upper abdomen on the left usually occurs only after a hearty meal high in fat and easily digestible carbohydrates.

If the patient has an acute form of pathology, pain, heaviness, abdominal cramps may appear even when eating a small amount of food, therefore often, to reduce the activity of inflammatory mediators, the patient is prescribed fasting for 2-3 days from the moment the first symptoms. The nature of the pain is sharp, cutting. Some patients describe the pain syndrome as dagger-like or stabbing pain. In rare cases (less than 9.1%), patients complain of dull pain that appears 10-30 minutes after eating.

Note! For diseases of the pancreas, abrupt onset of pain or their progressive increase is not characteristic. The intensity of sensations can grow evenly for 30-40 minutes, but after that the syndrome becomes permanent.

How to distinguish pancreas disease from other pathologies?

Often it is impossible to independently determine which organ is hurting. The clinical picture of pancreatitis (inflammation of the gland) and other pathologies of descent with signs of disease stomach, liver and intestines, therefore, to make an accurate diagnosis, the patient must undergo a complex examination. Biochemical studies of urine and blood, ultrasound of the abdominal organs are prescribed without fail. spaces, endoscopic examination of the stomach, esophagus and intestines (gastroscopy and sigmoidoscopy).

This is necessary to exclude other diseases of the digestive tract and to confirm the preliminary diagnosis. In acute surgical pathologies, the diagnosis is carried out directly during surgery. The table below lists the main signs of pancreatic diseases, as well as their detailed description.

Symptoms of pancreatitis and other diseases of the pancreas

Clinical sign	Image	Characteristic
Nausea		It can occur at any time of the day, worse after eating. Nausea associated with pancreatic pathologies is significantly reduced after eating foods and drinks with added sucrose
Vomit		It occurs mainly after eating. Vomit has a heterogeneous consistency and may contain pieces of undigested food. The offensive odor is usually absent. There should be no mucus in the vomit
Pain in the upper part of the epigastric space on the left side		The localization of the pain syndrome is under the left costal arch with possible irradiation to the right side of the abdomen. The nature of the sensations is stabbing, cutting, sharp (less often - dull aching pains). Appear after eating
Stool problems		May be manifested by prolonged absence of stool (chronic constipation) or, conversely, frequent defecation with stool disorder. With constipation, the stool is dry, in the form of a dense lump, the color can vary from dark brown to black. With diarrhea, the stool becomes watery (less often patients complain of frequent mushy stools), takes on a yellow color. Defecation is painless, false urge to have a bowel movement is usually absent

Additional symptoms of diseases of the pancreas are dyspeptic symptoms and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. This can be: heartburn, a feeling of a foreign body in the larynx (the patient constantly wants to swallow a lump in his throat), bad breath. Common symptoms include impaired appetite, changes in the skin (increased dryness and pallor), weakness, drowsiness and rapid fatigue.

Important! With pseudotumorous pancreatitis, the organs located nearby (the left lobe of the liver, duodenum and stomach), as well as the veins and arteries passing nearby, are compressed. In this case, the pain takes on a girdle or diffuse character and can radiate to the zone of projection of the damaged organs. When the arteries are squeezed, the patient's skin becomes very pale, frequent dizziness, shortness of breath appear. Such symptoms against the background of abdominal pain can be a manifestation of an infectious or parasitic inflammation of the pancreas.

Video: Signs of pancreatic disease

How to relieve an attack at home: advice from doctors

Most patients, even with the appearance of severe symptoms of acute pancreatitis, stay at home and do not seek medical help. If for some reason a person cannot immediately go to the hospital, it is important to know how to properly help with acute inflammation at home.

The algorithm of actions in the event of pathological signs and severe pain syndrome is given below.

1. Provide the patient with complete rest for 1-3 days. In case of an exacerbation, strict bed rest is recommended, so it is important to make sure that someone can provide the necessary care for the patient if he does not want to go to the hospital.
2. To reduce pain on the sore spot, it is necessary to apply a cold compress (a heating pad with ice, wrapped in a thick towel). The duration of the compress is no longer than 3-5 minutes. The procedure can be repeated every 1.5-2 hours.
3. To reduce the activity of cells of the pancreas, fasting is prescribed (only with a diagnosed acute form of the disease). Its duration should be from 1 to 3 days. Starting from the fourth day, vegetable purees, low-fat broths and liquid porridge in water or diluted milk can be introduced into the diet.

If the pain is very severe, it is allowed to use drugs from the group of antispasmodics based on drotaverine ("No-shpa», «Spazmol», «Spazmonet»). You can take these drugs up to 3 times a day. A single dosage is 40-80 mg (1-2 tablets). Antispasmodics relieve spasm of smooth muscle fibers, relax the walls of organs and blood vessels, and reduce the intensity of pain. Without consulting a specialist, you can take the funds of this group for no longer than two days.

Important! With a pronounced gag reflex, "No-shpa" can be used in an injectable form for intravenous and intramuscular administration. If the patient does not suffer from diarrhea, antispasmodics in the form of rectal suppositories can be used, for example, "Papaverine"(1 suppository 2 times a day into the rectum).

Can I drink during an exacerbation?

Some advise that during an exacerbation of pancreatitis, avoid drinking fluids, since water and other drinks increase pressure on the smooth muscle located on the inner surface of the duodenum (sphincter of Oddi), which leads to increased pain. Such a measure is considered justified only if the patient does not have signs of dehydration: dry lips, pallor of the skin, blue skin under the eyes. Dehydration develops against the background of repeated and profuse vomiting, therefore, with such symptoms, it is by no means possible to refuse to drink fluids.

Doctors advise to use table sodium bicarbonate water during an exacerbation, for example, “Narzan" or "Essentuki"(No. 4 and No. 17). This should be done 1-1.5 hours before meals. The therapeutic dose per dose ranges from 100 to 300 ml. Before use, the water must be warmed up to a temperature of 36 ° -38 °: the use of cold foods and drinks at acute inflammatory processes in the tissues of the pancreas can provoke an increase in the existing symptoms.

Video: How to remove an attack of pancreatitis

Nutritional advice from doctors

To reduce the load on the inflamed gland and restore damaged tissues, the patient is prescribed diet No. 5 according to Pevzner. All dishes with an acute form of the disease should be served mashed, mashed or mushy. After stopping inflammation, such nutrition will have to be adhered to for several more months, so as not to provoke a relapse of the disease. The temperature of the food and drink served should be around 36 °. The following are foods that can be consumed during the treatment of pancreatitis and other pathologies of the pancreas.

Fruits and vegetables

In acute inflammation, fruits and vegetables can only be eaten baked or boiled. Red cabbage, tomatoes, bell peppers, beets are useful. Vegetables with a high starch content (potatoes and carrots) can be included in the menu no more than 2-3 times a week. Onions must be sautéed without adding oil, stewed or boiled. After stopping acute inflammation, you can add cucumbers to the diet, but peel them off before eating. It is better to choose smooth varieties, since pimpled cucumbers contain more seeds that irritate the walls of the gastrointestinal tract.

From fruits, apples and pears should be the main products. It is allowed to use bananas in the form of a soufflé, a small amount of tangerines and oranges. Melons, persimmons, grapes with pancreatitis are prohibited, as they contain a lot of sugar and cause fermentation processes.

Meat and fish

Meat can be eaten in finely chopped form, in the form of casseroles, meat soufflé or mashed potatoes. For cooking, you should use low-fat varieties: beef tenderloin, rabbit meat, chicken and turkey fillets. Once every 10 days, you can include pork and lamb in the menu, but you should not abuse these types of meat, since the amount of fat in them is almost 2 times more than in veal and beef. Before cooking, the meat must be soaked in cold water and the fat, films and skin must be removed from it.

Fish and seafood should not be excluded from the diet either, but preference should be given to low-fat varieties, which include:

• cod;
• hake;
• tuna;
• pollock;
• halibut;
• navaga.

Trout, mackerel, salmon and other species with a high content of fatty acids can be consumed no more than 1 time in 1-2 weeks.

Important! During an exacerbation, meat and fish broths should be excluded from the patient's diet for 10 days.

Dairy products and eggs

The patient is allowed to consume low-fat dairy products: pasteurized milk with a fat content of 1.5 to 2.5%, yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese. Sour cream is allowed only as a dressing in first courses (no more than 1 teaspoon per day). Whole milk, butter, fermented baked milk and other fatty milk products are completely excluded from the menu.

Any eggs can be used, but the amount of yolk should not exceed 1 piece per day. If you need 2 eggs or more to make a serving of omelette, only the protein should be used.

Confectionery

In small quantities, the consumption of marmalade, marshmallow, marshmallow, soufflé made from natural agar-agar and pectin is allowed. It is great if seaweed extracts are added to the composition - they have a positive effect on the enzymatic activity of the pancreas and help to establish the synthesis of the most important hormones. As a dessert for tea, you can use lingering cookies, biscuits, rye crackers.

Bakery products

Fresh bread for any form of pancreatitis is prohibited. The patient is allowed bread made from wheat flour, dry biscuit, pastries without adding yeast, black bread. Products with bran, as well as those prepared with the addition of peeled flour, can provoke fermentation in the intestines, bloating, heaviness, so it is better not to introduce them into the diet.

Drug treatment

Medical correction is indicated after the relief of an acute inflammatory process and may include various groups of drugs, the main of which are digestive enzymes. This is the basis of replacement therapy, since insufficient enzyme production is one of the main manifestations of pancreas diseases. Drugs in this group have low systemic absorption and act only in the intestinal lumen. Digestive enzymes used to treat chronic pancreatitis, as well as a scheme for their use, are shown in the table.

The name of the drug and the form of release	Image	How to use?	average cost
Dragee enteric "Festal"		1-2 pills 3 times a day with meals. The duration is determined individually and can range from 10 days to several months (the need for treatment should be assessed by apparatus and biochemical studies)	140 rubles
Pancreatin tablets		1-3 pills 3 times a day with meals or after meals for 10-30 days	16-50 rubles
Hermital capsules		1 to 4 capsules after each meal	116 rubles
Enteric capsules "Creon 10000"		The dosage regimen and duration of use are determined strictly by the attending physician. Self-calculation of the dose without studying blood and urine parameters is impossible.	281 rubles

Important! It is impossible to use agents from the group of digestive enzymes during the period of the acute course of the disease.

Video - Doctor's advice on the treatment of pancreatitis

Complementary therapy

For symptomatic treatment, the following groups of drugs may be included in the treatment regimen:

• antiemetics ("Motilium», «Cerucal»);
• drugs that reduce the secretion of gastric and pancreatic juice ("Omeprazole», «Omez»);
• carminative drugs based on simethicone for bloating and flatulence ("Espumisan»);
• laxatives for constipation ("Lactulose», «Duphalac»);
• preparations for normalizing stool with diarrhea ("Diara», «Loperamide»).

To restore bowel function and prevent dysbiosis, eubiotics can be used, for example, “Hilak Forte».

Diseases of the pancreas are pathologies that require timely diagnosis and treatment. At home, it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis and determine the cause of epigastric pain, therefore, self-medication for symptoms of pancreatitis is unacceptable.