There are a number of diseases that are difficult to diagnose, much less detect on your own. One such example is pancreatic obesity. The official name is lipomatosis. In the article we will analyze the causes of this disease, its characteristic symptoms, directions of diagnosis, therapy, simple but effective preventive measures.
About iron
Before we say what lipomatosis is, we will write about the gland itself. Pancreas, because it is located under the stomach. This small organ is very important for the functioning of the entire system of our body. In particular, it performs the following functions:
- The production of a larger proportion of digestive enzymes. It is they that help the digestion of food in the stomach, the assimilation of nutrients from it.
- The secretion of hormones. This makes the pancreas an invariable participant in the metabolism of the body - carbohydrate, protein and fat.
- Separately, it is worth highlighting the production of insulin. Lack of this hormone in the body provokes the development of diabetes.
About the disease
What is lipomatosis? This refers to obesity of the gland located under the stomach. In other words, fatty degeneration of the organ.
What exactly is meant by obesity of the pancreas? This is the replacement of damaged, dead cells that make up the organ, with adipose tissue. Cells here are mostly ruined by the inflammatory process. Damaged and weak, they can no longer perform their important functions. They die, and in their place appears adipose tissue.
Pancreatic obesity is dangerous because changes in the body for a long time do not make themselves felt. Until the fat deposits in the pancreas grow so much that they begin to put pressure on neighboring organs. In some cases, the disease is detected by chance - during an ultrasound of the abdominal organs.
What provokes her?
But what exactly is the impetus for pancreatic obesity? Here, even the opinions of experts differ. Some believe that this is a consequence of pancreatitis. Others call the decisive genetic factor.
But doctors agree that lipomatosis is inherently a secondary disease. This is a reaction of the pancreas to a negative effect. Following the instinct of self-preservation, the body is trying to replace dead cells with new ones. In this case, adipose tissue. But such surrogate cells cannot perform the functions necessary for an organ. Why the natural reaction in this case is both useless and harmful at the same time.
Causes of the disease
Now consider the main causes (more precisely, provoking factors) of lipomatosis:
- Traumatic damage to the pancreas.
- Weakening of the body's immune forces.
- A number of primary diseases: pancreatitis, hepatitis, chronic gastritis, diabetes.
- Hereditary factor.
- Age-related changes in the body.
- Uncontrolled medication.
- Addiction to junk food - fatty, salted, smoked, spicy.
- Bad habits - smoking, frequent drinking.
- Tendency to corpulence.
Thus, lipomatosis is a consequence of a general metabolic disorder in the body. Primary diseases (pancreatitis, diabetes and others) do not always lead to its development - it all depends on an individual predisposition. However, statistics show that most often this condition is diagnosed in overweight people, patients who abuse alcohol.
Clinical picture
We have already noted that symptoms of pancreatic obesity in the early stages of the disease may not occur at all. You can recognize the ailment here only when conducting an ultrasound scan. Two factors affect the clinical picture of the disease:
- Violation of the natural functioning of the pancreas.
- Squeezing adipose tissue not only healthy areas of the gland, but also neighboring organs.
The degree of growth of fatty inclusions can be very different, depending on which area of the pancreas has been damaged. We can talk about obesity when more than 30% of the organ tissue has undergone a mutation.
But the decisive importance in determining the severity of the disease is not the volume of mutant cells, but their location in the organ, crowding. If fat cells accumulate in one place, it makes sense to talk about a benign formation - a lipoma. She may not manifest herself for many years. But as soon as the formation begins to increase in size, compress adjacent ducts and blood vessels, nerve processes, the signs of the disease begin to manifest clearly.
Main symptoms
Can the pain in the right hypochondrium after fatty foods indicate the development of lipomatosis? We list the main signs of this disease:
- Shingles, felt in the right hypochondrium after eating (any, optionally even oily).
- Periodic bloating accompanied by flatulence.
- Constant thirst.
- The appearance of small sores in the oral cavity.
- Intermittent vomiting, nausea.
- Violation of the stool. Often in the feces of the patient, inclusions of blood or fat are detected.
- General weakness, lethargy.
- If the disease is started, then the patient begins to lose weight significantly.
Stages of the disease
Three main stages of lipomatosis are distinguished:
- In the first stage, changes affect no more than 30% of the tissues of the organ.
- In the second stage, 30-60% of pancreatic tissues are mutant fat cells.
- At the very last stage of the disease, an organ is more than 60% fat.
This state of affairs is dangerous for the consequences, complications of the disease. It contributes to the development of endocrine pathologies, increasing blood sugar levels. Based on this, diabetes can develop. Also, the process of obesity is able to spread to the next vital organ - the liver. And provoke the development of hepatosis.
Diagnostic measures
If you suspect that you have even the most implicit signs of this disease, you should immediately contact a gastroenterologist, endocrinologist. First of all, the doctor visually examines the patient, listens to his health complaints. Be prepared to answer the following questions:
- When did the symptoms appear?
- What diet do you follow?
- What chronic diseases have suffered?
- Do you have bad habits?
- Have your relatives suffered from pancreatic diseases?
Then an organ palpation is performed. With this, the doctor determines his approximate condition. But not without laboratory, instrumental procedures. Mandatory preparation for an ultrasound of the pancreas. It is standard - the doctor will introduce you to all the rules and features before the procedure.
Directions of therapy
The treatment of pancreatic obesity is complex. It combines several approaches at once:
- Taking medications. In particular, these are enzymatic substances, insulin.
- In some cases, with the permission of the attending physician, folk remedies are also allowed as adjunctive therapy.
- Lifestyle adjustment. In particular, the establishment of a special gentle diet, fractional nutrition, a complete rejection of the use of alcoholic beverages.
- In especially severe cases (when a disease is detected in the most advanced, third degree), surgery is prescribed.
The average duration of treatment is about 2 months. After this period, the doctor gives the patient a second referral for an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, a biochemical blood test. After six months, the course of treatment is repeated.
Drug treatment
Pancreatic obesity pills are prescribed only by your doctor. This is a serious enough disease to self-medicate. The following medications are usually prescribed:
- Ibuprofen Analgesic, analgesic. Helps to get rid of the pain syndrome tormenting the patient. Replacing drugs - No-Shpa, Platifillin.
- Metoclopramide. What are these pills from? The drug is able to combat the effects of lipomatosis, such as nausea and vomiting.
- "Mebeverin". This medication is designed to stop intestinal cramps.
- Pancreatin It is an enzymatic drug. It contains biologically active compounds that contribute to the breakdown of nutrients - proteins, carbohydrates, fats. Thus, it contributes to normal digestion. Alternative remedies are Festal or Mezim.
- Loperamide. In obesity of the liver, patients often suffer from diarrhea, stool disorders. This medicine allows you to cope with such a problem.
- Vitamin complexes. They are aimed at enhancing the body's immune forces.
In some cases, the doctor prescribes insulin therapy.
Auxiliary treatment
As an additional therapy, folk remedies are used. These are infusions and decoctions from herbal preparations. Use them only with the permission of the attending physician.
The most common decoction is based on valerian, nettle, calendula, St. John's wort. All herbs are mixed together in equal proportions - 10 g per one glass of boiling water. Use infusion in equal parts seven times a day.
Decoctions of mint, rose hip, chamomile, immortelle, and wormwood are also used.
They also turn to physiotherapy, hirudotherapy (the use of leeches), spa treatment, and the use of mineral waters.
Dieting
In obesity of the pancreas, a specific diet is indicated - No. 5. This is a special therapeutic diet. The main principle is the exclusion from the diet of extractive substances that have an irritating effect on the digestive tract. These are urea, creatine, tyrosine, inosinic and glutamic acid.
The patient should exclude the following from his diet:
- Products containing essential oils (citruses, herbs).
- Foods rich in refractory fats (lamb, beef).
- Products containing large amounts of cholesterol. Eggs, cheeses, liver, sardines, shrimp, mackerel, sweet pastries, biscuits.
- Salinity, marinades, fast food, ice cream, muffin.
- Sweet carbonated drinks.
- Meat, dairy, canned fish.
Instead, stick to the following:
- Balanced fractional nutrition: frequent, but in small portions.
- Refusal of snacks before bedtime.
- Reducing the total number of calories consumed per day.
- Food mainly protein and carbohydrate foods.
- Introduction to a diet rich in fiber foods: fresh fruits, vegetables, berries. These are pear, blueberries, raspberries, apples, strawberries, beets, carrots, peas, cabbage, broccoli.
- For cooking, use methods such as stewing and cooking.
Prevention
Preventive measures are simple and accessible to everyone:
- Quitting alcohol and smoking.
- Weight control.
- Normalized intake of fatty foods.
- An appeal to an active, healthy lifestyle.
Lipomatosis is a serious disease that affects an important organ, the pancreas. It is fraught with its consequences, complications. Therefore, it is so important to carry out prophylaxis in time, do not forget about the planned ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs.