Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. Over the past half century, this ailment is diagnosed twice as often, and the number of patients with both acute and chronic forms of the disease has increased. Most often, the pathology occurs due to overeating, alcohol abuse. It is these causes of pancreatitis that often cause inflammation. Under the influence of provoking factors, the production of proteolytic enzymes is activated, which causes inflammation.
Most often, the cause of pancreatitis is a violation of the diet. Approximately 95% of cases of the occurrence of the disease are associated with alcohol abuse, smoking, overeating. The remaining five percent is medication, cholelithiasis.
Why does inflammation occur?
The pancreas is a secretory organ whose function is to produce special hormones and juice. Without them, complete digestion and normal metabolism are impossible.
Iron itself is an organ that is about fifteen centimeters long and weighs about eighty grams. For a day, it produces up to one and a half liters of pancreatic secretion, which enters the duodenum.
The composition of the juice includes: lactose, maltase, trypsin, lipase. Its function is to neutralize stomach acid and to aid in digestion. Also, this small organ produces glucagon, lycopoin, insulin, which are responsible for regulating blood sugar and participating in carbohydrate metabolism, in the creation of phospholipids in the liver.
Causes of pathology
In case of a malfunction of the pancreas, inflammation occurs. The main cause of pancreatitis is a person’s lifestyle, food consumed. For the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, iron produces the corresponding enzymes: lipase for fats, trypsin for proteins, etc. With excessive consumption of food, the outflow of juice from the gland itself is disrupted, and it does not reach the duodenum. As a result of this process, digestion is disturbed, inflammatory processes develop, acute pancreatitis occurs, the causes of which can be not only overeating, but also gastrointestinal trauma.
Pancreatic inflammation as an independent process does not happen. Most often, it is involved in the inflammatory process with other diseases of the digestive tract and beyond.
Types of Pancreatitis
Asking the question, what kind of disease is it - pancreatitis, what are the causes and symptoms leading to it, what are they like? The clinic of the pathology depends on the type of pancreatitis. There are acute, chronic and reactive species. Each of them has its own characteristics.
Chronic pancreatitis
Chronic pancreatitis is an inflammation of the gland that develops gradually and goes away accompanied by functional disorders. Periods of exacerbation alternate with remissions. With proper therapy, the period of remission can last for years.
Acute pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis is characterized by inflammation and decomposition of organ tissues, which go through several stages: atrophy, fibrosis and organ calcination. This type of ailment can manifest itself as inflammation of the entire organ or its individual parts.
Reactive Pancreatitis
Reactive inflammation is a type of acute pancreatitis. Usually occurs with exacerbation of diseases of the digestive tract. Often this term applies to patients who have a high risk of organ damage.
Causes of acute inflammation
Symptoms and causes of acute pancreatitis, may be as follows:
- If the pathology is caused by a disease of the biliary tract, gall bladder, then bile is thrown into the ducts of the pancreas, causing various chemical processes. Bile promotes the release of enzymes that themselves damage the gland. In this process, blood vessels with hemorrhages are affected.
- Pancreatitis can occur against the background of pathologies of the stomach and duodenum. At that form, gastrointestinal tract malfunctions are observed, including gastritis and ulcers, decreased motor function, and inflammatory processes in the duodenum. All this contributes to the formation of insufficiency of the sphincter of Oddi, violation of the outflow of bile, pancreatic secretion. As a result, the organ is damaged by its own enzymes.
- Hypertension, vascular atherosclerosis, pregnancy can cause pancreatitis. With these conditions, the blood supply to the gland is disturbed. During pregnancy, the uterus can press on the organ, causing pancreatic ischemia.
- Inflammation can be caused by poisoning. It can be alcoholic, acidic, alkaline intoxications, poisoning caused by helminthic infestations, even frequent consumption of vegetables and fruits with a high content of pesticides can cause an ailment.
- The causes of acute pancreatitis may be some medications. Most often, drugs such as Azathioprine, Metronidozole, Tetracycline, glucocorticosteroids, estrogen drugs, sulfonamides, NSAIDs and other medicines cause pathology.
What else causes acute pancreatitis
The causes of acute pancreatitis can be not only the above, they include:
- Binge eating. In case of impaired fat metabolism, enzymes are activated that corrode the organ from the inside. With a chronic tendency to overeat, the risk of an ailment increases several times, especially for those who like fatty, fried foods.
- Injuries. Sometimes, after unsuccessful operations on the gallbladder, as well as with blunt organ injuries, acute pathology occurs.
- Infectious diseases. Chronic and acute viral pathologies, including hepatitis, tonsillitis, mumps, as well as any purulent diseases of the abdominal cavity can lead to pancreatitis.
- Genetic predisposition. This reason is rare, but it is not excluded. Scientists have proven that there are a number of genetic disorders in which pancreatitis begins to develop in a child from birth.
- Alcohol. Even a small dose of alcohol can lead to acute pancreatitis or cause destructive processes in the gland.
World Statistics
According to statistics, the main cause of pancreatitis is alcohol. According to data, over 40% of patients are alcoholics who have pancreatic necrosis or destructive pancreatitis. 30% are patients suffering from cholelithiasis. About 20% are people with obesity of varying severity.
Infectious pathologies, taking medications, poisoning, account for about 5%. The remaining five are congenital anomalies, genetic predisposition, congenital gastrointestinal defects.
Features of chronic pancreatitis
When the pathology proceeds with periods of exacerbation and remission, they speak of a chronic form of inflammation. As progression develops, pancreatic insufficiency develops: the glandular tissue of the organ undergoes changes, the processes of replacing damaged areas with connective tissue begin. It does not produce enzymes and juice, which may result in a lack of enzymes. As a result, violations of the functioning of the organ are observed.
The causes of chronic pancreatitis can be different, but, most often, dietary disorders, eating semi-finished foods, fast foods, and alcohol lead to pathology.
Stages of chronic inflammation
The following stages of chronic pancreatitis are distinguished: exacerbation and remission.
The causes, symptoms of pancreatitis in different stages are different. During remission, a dormant period sets in, when the progression of the pathology stops, no destruction occurs in the organ, and there are no clinical manifestations of the disease. The initial stage of exacerbation is slightly expressed and can continue for many years, depending on the lifestyle and general health of the patient. The initial stage is followed by a period of deviations and impaired functioning of the organ, in which the symptoms become more pronounced.
Exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis is caused by a violation in the diet: consumption of spicy, fried, fatty foods, alcohol or carbonated drinks, especially on an empty stomach.
Clinical manifestations of acute inflammation of the gland
Symptoms, causes, treatment of pancreatitis in different forms of pathology are different. In acute inflammation, gland cells are damaged by their own enzymes. If the body is affected by lipase, which is responsible for the breakdown of fats, then this leads to fatty degeneration of the organ. Trypsin, which converts protein, provokes chemical reactions leading to edema of the gland, followed by cell necrosis.
At the initial stage, aseptic necrosis of a local nature is observed. If urgent treatment is not started, then nearby organs are involved in the pathological process, the infection joins, purulent complications arise. To avoid this, it is necessary at the first manifestations of acute pancreatitis to seek help from a doctor.
- Shingles pain. Most often, it is localized in the left hypochondrium. Pain can radiate under the left shoulder blade to the arm. At the first attack, the pain is not removed with medication. The pain syndrome is so pronounced that it can cause pain shock, loss of consciousness, and cause death. The duration of the attack can be from an hour to several days.
- Lack of appetite, vomiting, nausea, which do not bring relief. In vomit, an admixture of bile is observed.
- The body temperature rises to 38, the pulse quickens to 90 beats per minute, blood pressure decreases.
- Frequent burping, dry mouth, hiccups, heartburn.
- On the tongue there is a yellow or white coating.
- The stomach is swollen.
- The act of defecation is broken: diarrhea can alternate with constipation. In feces, undigested food debris is observed.
- The color of the skin changes. It may be pale, yellowish. The color of the sclera changes.
- Body weight is rapidly decreasing, overall health is deteriorating.
Exacerbation of a chronic form
Regardless of what causes pancreatitis in women and men and what type of pathology, pain is observed in this disease. However, in the chronic form, it is less pronounced than in acute pancreatitis. It occurs against the background of the development of an inflammatory process that affects the nerve endings of the gland. The pain syndrome can last several seconds, and may drag on for several days.
A decrease in pain is observed when bending down, squats. An exacerbation of the chronic form is also accompanied by the following clinical manifestations:
- Bloating.
- Violation of the act of defecation.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Weight loss, worsening of the general condition.
- Dry skin, brittle hair, nails.
- There are signs of vitamin deficiency.
- Fatigue increases.
- Metabolism is disturbed.
In the chronic form, tissue necrosis is sometimes observed, causing acute pain. This ailment requires urgent medical care.
Complications of inflammation
If the causes of pancreatitis are established in a timely manner, and treatment is started, then the likelihood of complications will be zero. In other cases, both acute and chronic forms can lead to serious complications, even death.
Most often, pathology leads to the development of diabetes mellitus, general depletion of the body, chronic intoxication of the body. If treatment is not started on time, then pulmonary complications may occur, pancreatic abscess, pancreatic ascites may develop. Cysts can form in the tissues of the organ, mechanical jaundice appears.
With exacerbation, infectious pathologies can develop in the tissues of the organ. Near the gland is a large aorta, through which the infection spreads throughout the body, causing sepsis. Also, complications can include: hypovolemic shock, renal and liver failure, peritonitis, respiratory or cardiovascular failure, abscesses of the abdominal cavity, the formation of fistulas, and much more.
Conclusion
According to various sources, up to 90% of patients suffering from an illness die from advanced pancreatitis. Most often this is due to alcohol intoxication. All this suggests that it is necessary to conduct therapy in a timely manner, as well as to exclude alcohol in large quantities, to review the diet.