Every person who is interested in their health should carefully monitor the work of the main organs and systems and immediately seek help from a doctor if symptoms of the disease appear. It is possible to understand that it is the pancreas that hurts, if you know its location in the body, understand its functions and the principle of interaction with other organs of the digestive system.
Which side is the pancreas
In the abdominal cavity, the organ is located on the left at the level of the first and second lumbar vertebra. It is close to the back of the stomach, which influenced its name. However, under the influence of some negative factors, the position of the organ may change slightly - shift to the right. The pancreas is adjacent to the duodenum.
Which side is the pancreas in humans? If you use the projection of the organ on the anterior abdominal wall, you can see that it is located 5-10 cm above the navel. When any deviations appear, all pain sensations also spread in this place.
The gall bladder is another organ located close to the pancreas. With a disease that spreads immediately to two organs, the pain becomes even stronger. When such pain appears, the patient cannot navigate and begins to panic, which leads to the rapid progression of the disease. The most important thing to pay special attention to when problems with the functioning of the digestive system are the color and consistency of the emptying. Without proper and timely treatment, the body will be ill for a very long time, which can lead to dangerous consequences.
Pancreas sizes
In a child, such an organ important for life begins to form in the second week after conception. In infants, the size of the pancreas is 5 centimeters, by the year the organ increases by 2 cm, and by 10 years - by 10 cm.
Ends its development and growth of iron in adolescents at 16 years old. By this time, the size of the organ varies from 15 to 25 centimeters. The weight of the gland of an adult reaches 70-80 grams.
Pancreatic structure
The gland includes three main departments - the head, body and tail. The largest department is the head of the organ, located next to the bile duct. Its length is 5 cm, and its thickness is from 1.5 to 3 cm. The body is the longest section of the organ, which is located behind the stomach and slightly lower. The tail is localized near the spleen.
What is the authority responsible for?
Which side of the pancreas is in the body, we found out. And what is she responsible for? Even in antiquity, people understood how valuable this body is, how important it is to monitor its smooth operation. The digestive system in the body has a complex structure. It performs the digestion of food-derived foods consisting of nutrients, complex proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and trace elements. The pancreas plays an important role in this process:
- Helps to achieve complete digestion of food. Normalizes energy metabolism and the production of hormones. It is with the help of special enzymes located in the pancreas that the absorption of beneficial substances that enter the body during food occurs. Also, the body secretes pancreatic juice in the amount of 0.5-1 liter per day. It includes the secretion of salt, water and amylase - enzymes responsible for the breakdown of carbohydrates.
- It produces hormones that restore blood glucose.
The main hormones produced during the activity of the pancreas include:
- Glucagon - increases the amount of sugar.
- Beta cells produce insulin, which controls carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body and reduces glucose.
- The hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for increasing appetite before eating.
How to recognize pain in the gland
We repeat on which side the pancreas in humans. The textbook on anatomy clearly shows the appearance of the organ and its location. However, it is rather difficult to determine exactly which pains appear with a pancreatic disease. At the first stage of the development of the disease, the patient feels pain on the right, in the hypochondrium. If you do not pay attention to this condition, then the acute pain quickly becomes even more intense.
If you do not start timely treatment, then the pancreas will continue to remind itself from time to time through acute pain in the side. This form of the disease will be chronic. This means that eliminating the inflammatory process in it is almost impossible forever.
Due to the peculiar location of the organ, it is difficult to determine the source of pain and the etiology of the disease. Therefore, a specialist may need a full examination of all digestive systems and organs.
Causes of pain
The fact that the functioning of the pancreas is highly dependent on the work of other organs of the gastrointestinal tract is understandable. At the very beginning of inflammation, iron significantly increases in size and begins to put pressure on organs located near it.
This condition is dangerous in that it can provoke the appearance of other ailments, as well as increase the risk of oncology. For this reason, it is so important to determine the violation in time and begin its comprehensive treatment. The following factors can lead to organ soreness and inflammation:
- Improper diet, ignoring the therapeutic diet, taking a lot of junk food (spicy, fatty, salty, smoked).
- Diseases of the bile duct.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Abuse of bad habits.
- Long-term use of certain medications, for example, hormones.
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Emotional surge, intense nervousness.
- gallbladder disease.
- Excessive body weight, which provokes a heavy load on the liver.
- Relapse of a previously cured disease of the gastrointestinal tract.
What part of the body hurts
The answer to this question is not as easy as it seems. We know which side of the pancreas in humans. We repeat, it is located on the left side of the peritoneum.
However, pain can spread to the right side. The pain may be of the following nature:
- Inflammation in the head of an organ. It passes against the background of very unpleasant sensations in the epigastric region (the middle line of the abdomen or on the right, under the ribs).
- The tail of the organ. It provokes the appearance of discomfort on the left, slightly below the ribs.
It is forbidden to diagnose yourself. If you experience discomfort in the left or right side, you should immediately go to the doctor.
Compilation of a clinical picture
Distinctive features and strength of pain will directly depend on the localization of the pathological focus. The doctor must do everything possible to make the correct diagnosis.
In medicine, there are three types of pain symptoms, each of which has its own differences. The clinical picture can be determined using the following characteristics:
- The symptom of Hubergrits-Skulsky indicates acute pain emanating from the tail of the pancreas.
- Khakharyin's symptom is determined in the presence of an extensive lesion of the organ head. It has an inflammatory character.
- Fitz's symptom indicates the presence of a spreading pathology, since the acute pain in this case is so strong that it does not allow a person to live normally.
Symptoms of a possible disease
Before treatment, appropriate tests prescribed by your doctor should be taken. A specialist will help determine the method of treatment and appoint home monitoring. Symptoms of pancreatic disease, as a rule, are the following ailments:
- Frequent nausea and vomiting (especially when eating fatty foods).
- Elevated body temperature, fever and fever.
- Symptoms of dyspepsia, flatulence.
- Performance degradation.
- Increased appetite immediately after waking up.
- Trouble sleeping.
If you have any problems with the functioning of the pancreas, you should seek help from a gastroenterologist. This specialist will be able to prescribe a full-fledged diagnosis and proper treatment, thereby saving the patient from unbearable attacks. All medications should be taken on time and in the prescribed dosage. Only in this case can we guarantee a quick recovery without complications for the body.
Changing the position of the body
Many people want to know the answer to the question of where the pancreas is located, on which side. If we consider the location of the organ using special equipment, it is easy to notice that its placement changes slightly with a change in body position. The organ is divided into segments covered with a protective capsule. In the connective tissue are ducts, blood vessels and nerves. Functionally, the organ is divided into 2 parts: endo- and enzocrine.
The endocrine part is the islets of Lagerhans. They have special cells - insulinocytes. Cells produce special hormones that are responsible for the state of carbohydrate metabolism. In addition, the interstitial peptide, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide are reproduced in the endocrine part of the organ.
The exocrine part is equipped with excretory ducts, as well as pancreatic acini. In this place, with the help of enzymes, the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates occurs. All substances are broken down in the intestinal lumen. This is necessary in order to protect the body from accidental mechanical damage.
Which side is the pancreas located on? The location of the organ can be determined by ultrasound or MRI. If nothing threatens the organ, it functions normally. In this case, eco-signals will be distributed evenly. To feel the organ, you need to lay the patient, after cleaning his intestines.
Diet for diseases
If the pancreas is broken, you should use a special diet. It can be used not only during treatment, but also for prevention.
While there are no exacerbations, food can be consumed five times a day in small portions. In this case, it is necessary to exclude substances that can lead to diarrhea or constipation. It is important to add to the diet foods with a high content of vitamins and substances that inhibit the deposition of fat. Limit sweet and flour products. The diet should be steam fish, yesterday's bread, boiled vegetables.