Pancreatitis attack

An attack of pancreatitis is a peak condition of the disease, in which all symptoms are exacerbated, and the dysfunction itself requires intervention to relieve pain and other ailments.

Pancreatitis is a disease characterized by inflammatory processes in the pancreas.

This dysfunction in the body can have acute and chronic forms. Acute manifestations of the disease occur with strong and vivid symptoms. The chronic stage is characterized by long and sluggish ailments, against the background of which exacerbations of pathological processes are possible. Acute and chronic pancreatitis with the strongest signs of the disease are called attacks of the disease.

An attack of pancreatitis causes serious changes in the human body. And if the patient does not receive medical care in time and the symptoms are not relieved, then this condition of the person can end sadly - fatally. Such acute manifestations of the disease are treated only in hospital conditions. Although, of course, adequate and feasible assistance to the patient should be provided in the place where the problem has become active.

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Causes of an attack of pancreatitis

Naturally, such a disease as inflammation of the pancreas does not occur on its own. And acute conditions - even more so. The causes of an attack of pancreatitis are quite prosaic and include the following:

• Alcohol abuse and domestic alcoholism.
• The presence of gallstone disease (cholecystitis), which provoked inflammatory phenomena in the pancreas.
• Genetic predisposition to the disease.
• The presence in the patient’s diet of a large amount of unhealthy food – fatty, fried and spicy dishes.
• Long-term use of certain medications.

There are more than two hundred reasons for the occurrence of the disease pancreatitis. All of the above are factors that cause the disease. But, in addition to this, we can point out:

• chronic infectious processes in the body,
• hormonal problems and disruptions,
• inflammatory processes occurring in the duodenum,
• blunt abdominal trauma,
• undergoing endoscopic manipulations,
• various strong or long-term stresses.

An attack of pancreatitis occurs both against the background of diseases of the digestive system and as an independent dysfunction of the body.

Also, acute forms of inflammatory processes in the pancreas can provoke pathological processes occurring simultaneously in the body in the gallbladder, liver and cardiovascular system.

The mechanism of occurrence of an attack of pancreatitis is as follows. In the normal state of health of a person, enzymes of the pancreas do not affect its condition and functioning. But due to the pathological factors, which were mentioned above, enzymes begin to affect the tissues of the pancreas, provoking the onset of inflammatory processes in it. At the same time, in the organ itself, there is a decrease and lack of production of these same enzymes. Therefore, a surprise may happen to a person. The state of health and well-being, it would seem, are normal, and an attack of pancreatitis is obvious.

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Symptoms of an attack of pancreatitis

The symptoms of an attack of pancreatitis have their own characteristic features, which are important for both the patient and his relatives to know.

So, the paroxysmal manifestation of the disease is characterized by:

• The presence of pain in the abdominal area. Moreover, the pain is long-lasting and strong with cutting or dull manifestations that encircle the body in the area where the pancreas is located. Sometimes the pain can radiate to the back, or to the subscapular region, or to the lumbar region.

In some cases, when the pain is so excruciating and severe, the patient may even lose consciousness from pain shock.

It is known that the pancreas is permeated with many nerve endings, which, when the organ becomes inflamed, begin to be involved in the process.

Experts believe that if the sensation of pain does not stop over time, but becomes more intense, this means the development of acute pancreatitis and the beginning of the destruction of the pancreas.

• The appearance of nausea.
• Multiple vomiting manifestations.
• Lack of desire to eat and feeling of hunger.
• The appearance of bloating.
• The presence of diarrhea, which has a foul odor. The feces contain remnants of food that were not digested during the digestion process.
• Hiccups may occur.
• The occurrence of dryness in the oral cavity.
• The appearance of belching.
• When the patient is lying down, the pain syndrome may increase.
• Therefore, people suffering from attacks of pancreatitis instinctively try to find a sitting position with a forward bend.
• Increase in overall body temperature.
• The appearance of chills.
• The occurrence of shortness of breath.
• A whitish coating appears on the patient's tongue.
• The skin and sclera of the eyeball acquire a yellowish tint.
• A decrease in the elasticity of the skin, which occurs one or two days after the onset of an attack.
• Reducing the patient's body weight.
• The appearance of symptoms of vitamin deficiency.

In parallel, an attack of pancreatitis may be accompanied by other non-specific symptoms of the disease:

• Blood pressure decreases or, conversely, increases.
• General weakness of the body appears.
• The skin takes on a greyish tint.

It is important to understand that the symptoms of a pancreatitis attack are very similar to other diseases that affect the human digestive system. Therefore, it is not recommended to self-diagnose and self-treat, but to seek help from specialists.

The diagnosis of "pancreatitis" can be refuted or confirmed only as a result of a complex of laboratory tests and other diagnostic procedures. It is important to exclude false symptoms that can lead to an incorrect diagnosis so that the conclusions of medical personnel are as accurate as possible.

How long does an attack of pancreatitis last?

Naturally, each person manifests any disease only in the way that is inherent to this individual. Therefore, we can only give a general explanation, and how long does an attack of pancreatitis last. In different people, the duration of the attack itself lasts from several minutes to several days. At the same time, the patient suffers from severe pain, and other symptoms indicated above in the article also appear.

It is believed that when acute manifestations of the attack itself cease, painful sensations in the pancreas can continue from one to seven days. In this case, they are relieved by taking painkillers. Sometimes the pain worsens at night, which does not please patients at all.

During an attack of pancreatitis, it is important for the patient himself and his close people to behave correctly. After all, adequate actions during an exacerbation of the disease can shorten the duration of the attack, and unprofessional ones can prolong the acute condition and worsen the patient's condition. It is necessary to carefully read the recommendations given in the article on how to relieve the acute condition and strictly adhere to the recommendations given. In addition, the patient needs to know that it is mandatory to call an emergency team, because only specialists can correctly diagnose the cause of the attack and choose the best treatment.

Acute attack of pancreatitis

An acute attack of pancreatitis can happen to a person who did not even suspect that there were problems with his pancreas. This condition is characterized by all the above symptoms, indicated a little earlier. But the most important indicator of this condition is that when bending forward in a sitting position, the patient's pain sensations decrease.

Treating such a problem at home is not recommended at all. At home, you only need to help the patient relieve the attack and immediately call emergency care. Because in such a situation, there is a high probability of serious complications for the body or even death.

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Attack of chronic pancreatitis

An attack of chronic pancreatitis occurs as an exacerbation of a long-term and persistent disease. The provoking factors in this case may be:

• Violation of the prescribed diet, abuse of “goodies” that are prohibited for this disease.
• Constant overeating.
• Violation of cooking technology during illness, consumption of fried, spicy, fatty, smoked and canned foods.

Also, attacks of the disease in chronic pancreatitis can be caused by background diseases and situations:

• epidemic parotitis or "mumps",
• viral hepatitis,
• infection with parasites - intestinal worms, liver fluke,
• stressful situations.

Chronic pancreatitis is caused by disorders in the digestive tract, namely inflammatory processes in the duodenum, chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers and duodenal ulcers, inflammation in the gallbladder and small intestine.

Chronic pancreatitis does not develop quickly in the body and not only as a consequence of the above diseases. This disease is formed, most often, under the influence of the following factors:

• unsystematic and irregular nutrition,
• abuse of fatty and spicy foods,
• addiction to alcoholic beverages,
• lack of vitamins in food,
• deficiency of protein foods in the diet.

In these conditions, the pancreas undergoes a self-digestion mechanism from the released enzymes that break down proteins and fats. This situation is typical for duodenitis. Dead cells are replaced by connective tissue, which has a wrinkled appearance and tightens the pancreas. In this case, a scar is formed in the organ and sclerotization of the gland occurs. In this case, the sick woman begins to have regular diarrhea with remnants of undigested food, which is stimulated by insufficient production of enzymes. The patient's body weight decreases, in some cases even significantly. Due to the disruption of the pancreas, insufficiency of the internal secretory functioning of the organ may occur, as well as the development of diabetes mellitus. Chronic pancreatitis with its attacks is often accompanied by parallel diseases - reactive hepatitis, inflammatory processes in the liver and gallbladder.

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Treatment of an attack of pancreatitis

After first aid has been provided at home, treatment of an attack of pancreatitis begins. It is first carried out by an emergency team, and then by other medical personnel in a hospital setting.

The main task of doctors is to remove the pain shock and normalize the patient's blood pressure. In this case, antispasmodics and painkillers are used, and then they resort to inactivating digestive enzymes. For these purposes, it is important to resort to complete fasting, which lasts from three days or more, if necessary. In this case, the patient's body receives fluid in the amount of one and a half liters per day. Water can be drunk, and aqueous solutions are also administered intravenously in the form of a dropper. A large amount of fluid is important for relieving the symptoms of intoxication, which is characteristic of this condition of the patient. If necessary and according to indications, patients can be administered anti-enzyme drugs.

Spasmolytic drugs, which are used intravenously, help restore the outflow of gastric juice. In parallel with them, the drug Contrycal is used, which helps in the regeneration of pancreatic tissue.

In the future, in a hospital setting, doctors prescribe the use of antibacterial therapy, which blocks the spread of inflammation throughout the body, which can cause partial necrosis of the pancreatic tissue.

At the very beginning of therapy, it is recommended to resort to intravenous administration of drugs, and then gradually move on to intramuscular injections and tablets.

An attack of pancreatitis is a very serious manifestation of the disease, in which you should not self-medicate, but immediately seek help from specialists to maintain health and improve the quality of your life.