Pancreatitis pain

Pancreatitis is a very common disease today. According to statistics for the last five years, every fourth woman and every eighth man in the world suffers from pancreatitis! Depressing facts. So, pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, the main task of which is the production of insulin and enzymes necessary for the correct and systematic breakdown of food.

Any pain in the peritoneum or iliac region, accompanied by the inability to walk straight, sit normally, as well as loss of appetite, loose or oily stools, dry mouth, thirst and vomiting, sudden weight loss and prolonged constipation, should certainly alert you, since the above-described ailments can be signs of progressive pancreatitis.

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Causes of pain in pancreatitis

The causes of pain in pancreatitis are varied: from systematically poor nutrition (untimely, with a large proportion of fried, spicy and fatty foods), to pathologies of the gallbladder and duodenum, injuries, wounds and consequences of abdominal surgery, taking certain medications (furosemide, estrogens, frequent use of antibiotics), tumors of the abdominal organs, metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, hormonal changes and hereditary predisposition to the disease. In about half of the cases, it is not possible to establish the true cause of the disease. Women suffer from pancreatic diseases more often than men.

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Localization of pain in pancreatitis

What kind of pain with pancreatitis usually bothers patients? There is no specific answer to this question, since pain with inflammation of the pancreas can be different: stabbing, cutting, aching, localized in a specific point (for example, under the right rib), or throughout the abdominal cavity, and sometimes even radiating to the groin or back.

The type of pain depends on which part of the pancreas is inflamed: the head, body or tail. If the head of the pancreas is inflamed, the pain is felt in the right side directly under the rib; if the body of the gland is inflamed, the pain is felt in the so-called "pit of the stomach" area; if the tail is inflamed, the entire left lateral part of the peritoneum aches, but the most severe pain is felt under the left rib.

Localization of pain in pancreatitis is very vague, often patients cannot pinpoint exactly where it hurts, they say "everything hurts" - in this case, we are talking about complete inflammation of the pancreas: both the body and the head, and the tail. In this case, the pain can radiate to the coccyx, back (as if encircling the patient), leg, iliac and inguinal regions. Often women complain of strange pain in the perineum, which literally hurts to walk.

Back pain is also common with pancreatitis, as the diseased pancreas radiates to all the organs of the peritoneum. That is why it seems that the back hurts. The back hurts in the same way with kidney inflammation.

Headache with pancreatitis is a common occurrence that occurs against the background of general weakness and exhaustion of the body. At the same time, inflammation of the pancreas, as a rule, is not accompanied by an increase in body temperature, but almost always manifests itself in the form of some yellowness of the face and skin. It is worth noting that quite often (especially if the disease is already in the chronic stage) acute pain with pancreatitis is absent and the disease proceeds in a latent form (there are no acute pain sensations or attacks of pancreatitis).

With this type of pancreatitis, called "stone" (due to stone formation in the structure of the pancreas), the head of the gland becomes extremely inflamed, the level of amylase in the blood and urine increases. In this case, against the background of acute pancreatic insufficiency, patients complain of long-term diarrhea and constant bloating. This type of pancreatitis is dangerous because in addition to the above symptoms, which are often impossible to determine without medical intervention (for example, the level of amylase in the blood and urine, the level of sugar in the blood), a favorable environment for the development of diabetes mellitus of both type 1 and type 2 appears (latent diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent).

How to recognize acute pancreatitis?

Acute pancreatitis, popularly called "pancreatic attack", is a rather dangerous disease, and one of the most common among diseases of the abdominal organs. With this type of pancreatitis, the pancreas begins to "digest itself", and if you do not intervene in time and do not provide the patient with the right medication and do not prescribe the right diet with a reduced sugar content, edema, inflammation of the tissue around the gland, up to necrosis of this vital organ, may develop.

So, acute pancreatitis can be recognized by the presence of the following complaints:

• Sharp pain in the upper abdomen (under the right rib).
• A sharp, encircling pain that is relieved by sitting or lying down with the knees bent underneath.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting (with bile).
• Aversion to all food, including plain drinking water.
• A feeling of intestinal distension, bloating.
• Pale, moist skin with an earthy or yellowish tint.
• A noticeable (the patient himself feels) decrease in blood pressure and increased heart rate.

Diagnosis of pain in pancreatitis

Diagnosis of acute pancreatitis requires the following tests and procedures:

• Complete blood count.
• Blood biochemistry (makes it possible to track the level of amylase in the blood and urine).
• X-ray of the abdominal cavity.
• Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.
• Fibrogastroduodenoscopy (commonly known as a “probe”) helps to determine the presence of ulcers and neoplasms, and also makes it possible to take gastric juice for analysis.
• Laparoscopy.
• Computed tomography (if there is a suspicion of oncology).

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Treatment of pain in pancreatitis

The pains associated with acute pancreatitis are quite pronounced, and they are what make a person react to them somehow. Treatment is carried out strictly under the supervision of a doctor. If, with chronic pancreatitis, the patient already knows how to fight the disease or how to relieve pain (judging by previous attacks), then in the case of an attack of acute pancreatitis (especially primary), it is necessary to immediately call an ambulance. It should be noted that the eternal question "how to relieve pain with pancreatitis?" has a simple answer - cold. The cold seems to freeze the pain, relieving it. Girdle pain with pancreatitis often causes panic and distracts attention, but if for some reason a visit to the doctor is impossible, you must do the following:

• Limit food consumption (even to the point of fasting) for 18-24 hours during an exacerbation (to drink, only alkaline mineral water or weak tea without sugar).
• Apply cold (you can use an ice pack) to the painful area (from the right hypochondrium to the navel). Never heat the peritoneum! This can lead to edema and sepsis, which often requires immediate surgical intervention.
• During periods of exacerbation and a couple of days after an attack, an IV drip with a glucose solution or rheosorbilact (200-400 ml) is recommended.
• After the initial fast, the patient will definitely want to eat, since the inflamed pancreas, due to the lack of food for digestion, begins to digest itself. In this case, you can start eating a little. Attention! Sugar should be limited to record low doses, because sugar consumption now can cause an attack again. But the body still needs glucose, so if you have not had glucose drips, weak black tea can be slightly sweetened.
• Eliminate all flour, fried, fatty foods - i.e. everything that will require the already sick pancreas to spend a lot of energy, which the weakened body does not have. You can eat one boiled egg, a piece of yesterday's (or toasted) bread, a couple of slices of biscuit cookies or a couple of pretzels. Also very recommended is a decoction of dried apples, juice of steamed raisins or rosehip tea (it is better to take fresh rosehips and steam them in a thermos than to drink tea from bags). The above decoctions contain vitamin C and glucose (fructose), which will be harmless, but very necessary for the body.
• After 3-4 days, if the diet is followed, the patient's general condition should stabilize. However, it is necessary to continue to adhere to a diet with a reduced content of pure sugar, drinking plenty of fluids and avoiding hard-to-digest foods. During or after each meal, it is recommended to take an enzyme preparation (Mezim 10000, Pancreatin 8000, Festal, Festal Forte) 1-2 tablets depending on the dosage (it is important that the daily dosage of the enzyme does not exceed 25,000).
• Be sure to consult a gastroenterologist for further full gastroenterological examination with subsequent identification of the cause of acute pancreatitis. Do not neglect the disease even if you feel better, because problems with the pancreas can be the first step to the development of diabetes.

Pain in chronic pancreatitis is less pronounced than in acute pancreatitis. Patients of gastroenterologists describe such pain as dull, wave-like (grabs and releases), intensifying after eating. It can radiate to various points of the peritoneum, but most often it “aches” under the left rib. Pain in chronic pancreatitis is not a primary, but a secondary problem, since it occurs against the background of gallstone disease, diseases of the intestines and duodenum, hepatitis B and C, mumps, intestinal helminthiasis, as well as against the background of long-term and constant alcohol intake (more than 50 grams of strong alcohol and more than 80 dry wine per day). The constant use of carbonated water and fizzy drinks also has a negative effect on the pancreas, causing constant inflammation of the pancreas, complicated by constant bloating, and gradually cirrhosis of the gland tissue. With chronic pancreatitis, pain does not always appear, but only when there are nutritional deficiencies. That is why, if you have chronic pancreatitis, you should stick to the right diet. Namely:

• Moderate consumption of foods with a high content of “complex” sugar: chocolate, cakes and sweets, flour products.
• Carbonated drinks and concentrated juices, chilled fizzy drinks.
• Fried, fatty and spicy foods.
• Don't overuse seasonings.

Read also:

• Cottage cheese for pancreatitis, cholecystitis and gastritis: recipes
• Cabbage for pancreatitis: sauerkraut, sea cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, stewed cabbage, Brussels sprouts

The above does not mean that you should limit yourself in food, you just should not abuse and overeat. You should not deny yourself meat, fish or mushrooms, because proteins are very necessary for the body, but when following a diet, it is better to bake everything or eat such products boiled. It is important to know that rich soups on fatty broth are strictly contraindicated. It is better to cook soups on natural vegetable broth, then they will be easily digested and beneficial.

Prevention of pain in pancreatitis

Prevention of both acute and chronic pancreatitis is quite simple, and it does not end with proper nutrition. It is necessary to follow a daily routine, not to eat at night (since at night the pancreas goes into a slow or so-called "sleep mode", like the whole body. By eating at night, we "wake it up" and force it to work. You should not often eat fast food and alcohol, as well as a lot of fatty and fried foods. It is better to eat boiled and baked meat, and minimize the consumption of flour products. You should not eat a lot of sweets (as a rule, simple sugar is added to cakes and chocolate, which is difficult for pancreatic enzymes to break down). If you know that a feast is coming, it is better to take an enzyme preparation. You should not get carried away with soda and juices with dyes. Take care of your pancreas and be healthy!