The digestive and endocrine glands are called the pancreas. A small organ, but this does not affect the enormous importance that it plays in the life of the human body. The pancreas is located between the stomach and spine in the abdominal cavity. It is surrounded by the liver, intestines and other internal organs. The appearance resembles a grape brush.
The pancreas, firstly, produces juice that contains the necessary enzymes to digest food in the intestines. Her second responsibility is the production of hormones, including the well-known insulin, which regulates blood glucose levels. If the ducts of the gland become clogged, the produced enzymes lose the ability to exit "out". They linger in the pancreas and destroy its cells, in this way digesting the organ itself. Then the pancreas hurts. Most often, the diagnosis is pancreatitis, which can be acute or acquire a chronic form.
Why does the pancreas hurt?
The first line in the ranking of reasons is alcohol and gallstone disease. According to statistics, they provoke the disease in 70 percent of cases. The cause of pancreatitis can be an infection or trauma of the abdomen, metabolic disturbances, some medications, a large amount of alcoholic drinks taken on one day, fatty and spicy foods, excess fatty foods in the diet, stress and smoking.
If the pancreas hurts due to acute pancreatitis, delaying treatment is extremely dangerous because necrotic areas of the gland that are not being restored are dead. Procrastination can lead to cardiovascular or renal failure. Enzymes in case of an attack of acute pancreatitis dissolve pancreatic cells, depriving it of its working capacity.
If the pancreas hurts due to chronic pancreatitis, which affects the organ less aggressively, then this will lead to changes in the gland. Cells destroyed by enzymes are replaced by connective tissue, which is not capable of producing either digestive enzymes or hormones. As a result, diabetes and some bowel diseases develop. In some cases, chronic pancreatitis entails pancreatic cancer, atrophy, sclerosis, and abscess.
How does the pancreas hurt?
The pancreas hurts, usually in the upper abdomen on the left side or “under the spoon”. Often the pain girdles or gives to the back, it can bother constantly, crush, whine or appear in the form of attacks.
The second signal of the disease is diarrhea. The appearance of the stool becomes porridge and contains pieces of undigested foods. Among the signs of pancreatitis are unpleasant belching, bouts of nausea, episodic vomiting, flatulence. As a rule, appetite disappears, body weight decreases. So the pancreas hurts.
The risk group includes men who consume excessive amounts of alcohol and fatty, spicy foods, women during pregnancy and at the very beginning of the postpartum period. With regular pain in the upper abdomen (three or more times a week), even in the absence of other symptoms, you should consult a gastroenterologist who will diagnose and prescribe adequate treatment.
Modern medicine has the means to cope with pancreatic diseases, including cancer, but only with diagnosis at an early stage, when the cancer has not yet begun to spread. But even with advanced stages, various treatments are used that prolongs life and improves its quality.
Pancreatic pain . What to do first?
With the sudden appearance of sharp, unbearable pain in the left hypochondrium, attacks of nausea and vomiting, fever, you must call an ambulance - these are symptoms of acute pancreatitis.
It is dangerous to engage in self-medication.
Before the arrival of medical workers, you should not eat or drink, so as not to stimulate the production of pancreatic enzymes.
Do not take any painkillers.
Do not warm the abdomen with a warm heating pad.
Sit down, knees pressed to the chest. Put an ice warmer on your left stomach, below the ribs.