Acute pancreatitis - a disease of the pancreas: a small body in the form of a tadpole, located behind the stomach and below the rib cage. There are two main types of acute pancreatitis: bland - the most common, accounting for four out of five cases of the disease, and heavy - one of the five cases.

Its main function of the pancreas:

• Production of digestive juices that are used in the gastrointestinal tract for the processing of food;
• The production of hormones, the most important of which - insulin The principles of action of insulin - the science of saving lives Responsible for the regulation of glucose Glucose: The energy source   in blood.

Acute pancreatitis - a serious disorder in which the pancreas inflammatory processes begin.

A mild form of acute pancreatitis

This violation inflammation usually takes 3-5 days. The term "soft" should not be misleading. It is used to describe cases of acute pancreatitis, when patients recover without serious complications. However, the disease usually tolerated very hard.

Severe acute pancreatitis

Patients with these disorders are severe pancreatic inflammation that can lead to life-threatening complications such as:

The spread of the inflammatory process in the whole body, which can sometimes lead to the failure of multiple organs;

The withering away of the tissues and infection of the thyroid gland, which can cause infection in the whole body and the disruption of multiple organs.

It is unclear why some people acute pancreatitis occurs in soft, while others - severe.

Currently, treatments for acute pancreatitis Treatment of acute pancreatitis - it all depends on the shape   there - therapy for patients with this disease is that doctors support body functioning until until no inflammation. Read more about the treatment of this disorder will be discussed below.

Prevalence

Acute pancreatitis - a rare disease which occurs, on average, one out of 2,500 people. In the last 40 years the incidence of acute pancreatitis increased significantly. Experts attribute this to the increased consumption of alcohol and fatty foods, as well as the prevalence of obesity, which are risk factors for the formation of gallstones.

It is believed that because of acute pancreatitis due to alcohol it is more common in men than in women. Acute pancreatitis, presumably caused by alcohol, the most common among people belonging to the age group of 30 to 45 years old; the average age of a patient who is diagnosed is a violation - 39 years. The average age of a patient who is diagnosed acute pancreatitis associated with gallstones - 69 years. However, in general, acute pancreatitis can affect people of any age, not excluding children.

Forecast

The prognosis of mild forms of acute pancreatitis is favorable; Most patients can be discharged from the hospital after 5-14 days.

However, if the disease is attributable to alcohol, the diagnosis should be taken very seriously - as a sign that the consumption of alcohol has been subjected to a real risk of health. The best solution would be to avoid alcohol. All patients, regardless of the causes of pancreatitis, it is necessary to refrain from alcohol for at least six months after treatment.

In severe acute pancreatitis prognosis less favorable. If complications develop, for example, the failure of several organs, death occurs in one out of three cases. If the patient survives, it may take several weeks or even months before he would feel well enough to be discharged from the hospital.

Symptoms

The most common symptom of acute pancreatitis - sudden severe pain in the center of the upper abdomen, approximately above the stomach. The pain continues to grow steadily, becomes constant, and sometimes so strong that a person can no longer carry out their daily activities, nor rest. Sometimes the pain spreads to the abdominal cavity on the back and worse after eating. When a person leans or rolled up, the pain may get a little weaker.

If the cause of acute pancreatitis are gallstones, the pain can become particularly strong after a hearty reception food. If acute pancreatitis associated with alcohol, pain often occurs in 6-12 hours after the patient has drunk a considerable amount of alcohol.

Other symptoms of acute pancreatitis can be:

• Nausea, dizziness, malaise;
• Vomiting;
• Diarrhea;
• Lack of appetite;
• High body temperature (over 38C);
• Increased sensitivity or pain in the abdomen;
• The yellowish tinge to the skin and whites of the eyes (this is less common symptom of the others).

When a severe pain in the abdomen Abdominal pain: Types and Symptoms   you should immediately seek medical help. Do not attempt to remove the pain using analgesics - in the best case, this would have only a temporary effect, and at worst - you miss the moment when the provision of medical assistance would be most effective and would help to avoid some of the complications.

  Gastric ulcer - is, in fact, an open wound that is formed on the inner walls of the stomach. The most common symptom of stomach ulcer is severe pain in the abdomen. For a long time it was believed that stomach ulcers develop because of stress How to beat stress? Create an oasis , Smoking and malnutrition. Today, however, it is known that 60% of gastric ulcers caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. These bacteria also cause indigestion or dyspepsia. For the treatment of gastric ulcers most commonly used antibiotics and drugs that inhibit the production of gastric acid.

Symptoms of gastric ulcer

In some cases, gastric not cause any symptoms. But often there are signs of it:

• Abdominal pain, localized under the rib cage
• Indigestion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Lack of appetite
• Weight loss
• The presence of blood in vomit or stool
• Symptoms of anemia, such as dizziness
• Shock due to blood loss - a condition requiring emergency care

Belly

Stomach - is one of the organs of the digestive system, located below the rib cage, in the abdominal cavity. The food swallows person enters the stomach and the esophagus sphincter (small muscular ring) where it is mixed with gastric juice containing digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid. Since the stomach is a muscular bag, it can be used for food processing methods like mechanical and chemical.

When the food in the stomach reaches the consistency of a paste, it is extruded through the second sphincter into the duodenum - the upper part of the small intestine. Gastric ulcers formed on the epithelium, or mucosa of the stomach.

It causes stomach ulcers

Gastric ulcer can be caused by various factors, the most common of which are:

• Bacteria Helicobacter pylori
• Certain medications - such as clopidogrel, is used to prevent heart attack or stroke; drugs for the treatment of arthritis Arthritis - beware of ineffective drugs ; antiinflammatories
• Cancer - often in the elderly gastric cancer starts as an ulcer

Helicobacter pylori

These bacteria are a major cause of stomach ulcers. Opening of H. pylori in 1983 were revolutionary for gastroenterology - in particular, it is possible to find new and more effective approach to the treatment of stomach ulcers.

The bacteria live in the epithelium and the chemicals they produce, causing irritation and inflammation. Furthermore ulcer, they cause gastritis and dyspepsia.

Scientists also believe that H. pylori plays a role in the development of gastric cancer Stomach cancer: genetics and lifestyle . It is not known exactly how the bacteria spread, but it is expected that they may be present in water and food.

Complications of gastric ulcers

Bleeding from the stomach ulcer is one of the most serious complications of the disease and potentially fatal for the elderly and patients with other diseases. This complication is often seen in people who take blood thinners such as warfarin Warfarin - indirect anticoagulants   and aspirin. To prevent a recurrence should take anti-ulcer medication.

Another dangerous complication is perforated stomach ulcer. If the ulcer is not treated for a long time, it can literally eat through the stomach wall and gastric juice begins to flow into the abdominal cavity. For treatment usually requires urgent surgical intervention.

Diagnostics

For the diagnosis of gastric ulcers used a variety of methods, including:

• Endoscopy - under light anesthesia into the stomach through the esophagus introduced a thin, flexible tube with a camera on the end. The image that receives the camera displayed on the monitor that allows the doctor to examine the plague.
• X-ray with barium. The patient drinks a solution of barium, a radiopaque substance, so the image in the picture will be easier to interpret. This method is rarely used today, but it can be useful if for some reason you can not do an endoscopy.
• Helicobacter breath test is performed to establish the presence in the body of H. pylori. The patient swallows a small amount of radioactive carbon, and the exhaled air is then taken for analysis. For children and pregnant women use the test without the use of radioactive substances.