What tests do I need to get to check the pancreas?

The modern rhythm of life leaves almost no time for a healthy diet, so people have to look for methods how to check the pancreas and other digestive organs for pathological changes.

But in order to get a complete picture of the current state of the organ, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination, which will take a lot of time.

You should not refuse or postpone the examination of the pancreas for a long time, especially if from time to time it makes itself felt with aching pains. TikTok online viewer and downloader TikTokni.com search profiles, videos, music, followers for free.

Indeed, timely measures taken to improve this organ will not allow complications of the existing disease.

Features of the examination of the pancreas

The pancreas is involved in the digestive process.

The purpose of the organ is to produce enzymes that help break down proteins and fats into microscopic particles, after which these particles enter the bloodstream and feed the cells of the body.

The pancreas is also responsible for the production of hormones: insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin.

If the organ in question has such a specific name, this does not mean that it is located under the stomach.

The pancreas is under the stomach only when the person is in a horizontal position.

In reality, the gland is located to the left behind the stomach, at the level of 1-2 lumbar vertebrae. In the process of palpation, the doctor finds it in the left hypochondrium.

In this area, painful spasms also occur, which can be shingles in nature.

Inside the pancreas, there are ducts through which the pancreatic juice produced by the organ is sent to the duodenum.

Usually, more than one doctor treats the pancreas, so in case of a disease of this organ, you can seek help from both a therapist and a gastroenterologist.

If during the examination it turned out that the cause of the inflammation was a tumor, then the patient is referred for a consultation with an oncologist. After that, the patient can get an appointment with the surgeon.

With focal damage to the parenchyma of the organ, the pathology is almost asymptomatic.

The fact is that healthy glandular tissues of the pancreas replace the affected tissues, of course, subsequently, a pathology that is not detected in a timely manner takes on a complex character.

That is why the check of the pancreas should be complex - only in this way the doctor can carefully examine the condition of the gland and correctly assess its work.

If it is necessary to determine the level of damage to the pancreas, the doctor also examines the patient's liver, since the work of these two organs is closely interrelated.

An accurate assessment of the state and functioning of the pancreas will allow the test results.

The patient should be tested for urine, feces and blood in the event that there is a suspicion of an exacerbation of the pathology.

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The patient can collect all biological materials for analyzes at home, following certain rules.

The main one, which allows you to correctly collect urine at home for tests, requires a sterile container and a certain hygienic procedure.

It is advisable to immediately deliver the analyzes collected at home to the laboratory, while the feces for analyzes can be stored in the refrigerator until the morning, but no more than 10 hours.

Laboratory diagnostics

During the diagnosis, the doctor takes into account the results of a general and biochemical blood test.

In the first case, with a chronic or acute form of pancreatic disease, the result of a general analysis will show an increased level of leukocytes and neutrophils in the blood, as well as a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).

As for the results of a biochemical blood test, with the development of icteric pancreatitis, the level of bilirubin in the blood rises.

The presence of this form of pathology is also indicated by an increased level:

• sialic acids, which help protect the mucous membranes;
• globulins (proteins), the purpose of which is to regulate the functions of the cardiovascular system;
• seromucoid - confirms the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.

Also, the doctor prescribes the patient to donate blood for a specific analysis, according to the results of which it is possible to identify the level of lipase and trypsin, as well as alpha-amylase (with an increase in a-amylase in the blood, an increase in diastase occurs urine).

The level of these enzymes in the duodenum is also determined without fail.

At the first stage, the procedure is performed on an empty stomach, then an examination is carried out after the introduction of 30 ml of natural gastric juice into the intestinal cavity.

In the process of laboratory examination of urine, the level of amino acids and pancreatic amylase (diastasis) is determined; with an affected pancreas, their norm will be exceeded.

But if the doctor discovers that the level of amylase in the blood and urine is lowered, then in this case we will talk about the death of certain parts of the organ tissue.

The reason for exceeding the norm of diastase and amino acids in the urine can be an acute or chronic form of pancreatitis, as well as pancreatonecrosis, neoplasms in the pancreas, various forms of gallstone disease, inflamed liver, acute pathology of internal organs and ectopic pregnancy.

A stool coprogram is also performed. With a deficiency of digestive enzymes in the feces, fiber, fats, muscle fibers and starch will be detected.

But the main indicator, which is guided by laboratory examination of feces, is the level of elastase.

If analyzes show that the level of this enzyme is lowered, then it means that the gland is not coping with its functions. It is especially necessary to be wary if the activity of elastase is less than 100 μg / g.

When is an ultrasound of the pancreas necessary?

It is advisable to carry out an ultrasound of the pancreas simultaneously with the examination of the stomach. The following health problems are indications for ultrasound of these two organs:

• feeling of pain in the left hypochondrium;
• signs of neoplasms in the digestive tract;
• the need to confirm a previously diagnosed pathology;
• painful sensation when the doctor palpates;
• sharp weight loss, health complaints;
• suspicion of diabetes mellitus;
• periodic nausea, vomiting and bloating;
• health complaints, yellowness of the skin.

Necessarily ultrasound of the gland and stomach is performed with signs of tumors. Some categories of benign lesions are not easy to detect due to their small size and similarity to organ tissues.

In the process of ultrasound, it is possible to identify malignant growths, which are very diverse in their structure.

If the tumor is small (up to 1.5 cm), then it does not change the natural shape of the organ. If the size of the growth is larger, then the contours of the gland change significantly.

Ultrasound not only allows you to determine the shape, size and location of the tumor, but also shows the changes that have occurred in nearby organs.

If pancreatitis is suspected, an ultrasound scan is prescribed for the reason that it is difficult to identify this pathology at an early stage.

During the ultrasound examination, it is possible to determine the form of the disease and possible complications.

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Preparation for ultrasound of the pancreas involves a protein-free diet. It is adhered to for three days before the examination.

Also, during this period, you can not take medications. The patient should have dinner on the eve of the examination no later than 18:00, with increased gas production, he should drink activated carbon at night. In the morning before the procedure, the patient is given a laxative.

During the examination, the uzist looks at the echo structure of the gland tissues - it is considered normal if it coincides with the density of the liver tissue.

With a changed echostructure, the ultrasound beams have a reduced permeability, the cause of which is the swelling of the organ, which is characteristic of acute pancreatitis.

In the chronic form of pathology, the permeability of ultrasound beams, on the contrary, is too high.

Deciphering the results of ultrasound is carried out in several stages, on the basis of which treatment is prescribed.