The pancreas is an organ that performs a number of important functions in the human body.

It produces enzymes that are part of the digestive juice

and are involved in the processes of digestion, as well as hormones.

In various diseases of the pancreas, the digestion of food,

the breakdown and absorption of substances necessary for the body

are disturbed, which is accompanied by certain symptoms,

many of which are not specific, especially in the early stages of the disease.

On the basis of complaints, the doctor may suspect the patient's pathology of this organ,

but to clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo an examination.

sings of pancreatic diseases

Frequent mushy, fatty stool is a sign of pancreatic pathology.

The main symptoms that may indicate a pathology of the pancreas are pain and dyspeptic (indigestion).

The pain is usually localized in the substrate area, can radiate to the left hypochondrium, left shoulder blade, lower back, in the acute process, the pain syndrome takes on a shingles character.

The pain appears or intensifies after a plentiful meal, especially fatty, spicy or fried, alcohol.

Local cold helps to relieve pain, sometimes patients to reduce discomfort take a forced position (lying on your side with knees pulled to the stomach or sitting, bent forward).

Digestive disorders manifest themselves in the form of heaviness in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting, which appear after eating, patients may also experience bloating, flatulence, diarrhea.

Sometimes patients themselves pay attention to the fact that the stool has become mushy,

frequent (up to 4-5 times a day), fatty, poorly washed off, acquires a gray color.

With the progression of the disease, metabolic processes are disturbed, patients lose body weight, appetite worsens.

Due to vitamin deficiency, the skin in patients becomes dry, vision may be impaired, anemia and other conditions associated with hypovitaminosis may develop.

The symptoms described above can occur in acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic tumors, the formation of cysts or stones of significant size in it. However, similar signs may indicate diseases of the intestines, gallbladder and other organs of the digestive system. And in some cases, due to the irradiation of pain in the lumbar region, lower abdomen or scapula, the doctor may mistake acute pathology of the pancreas for radiculitis, an attack of angina pectoris or acute appendicitis. That is why an examination is necessary to verify the diagnosis.

Do not forget about the intrasecretory function of the pancreas, in violation of which the production of hormones directly involved in carbohydrate metabolism suffers. In case of violation of the production of insulin and other hormones by this organ, the patient will show signs of diabetes. Early symptoms of this disease include polyuria (daily diuresis can exceed 2-3 liters), constant thirst, dry mouth, dry skin and mucous membranes, increased appetite.

With the progression of the disease, complications of the disease such as angiopathy, nephropathy, visual impairment, etc. may develop.

Symptoms of pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis most often develops with the abuse of alcohol and its surrogates,

especially against the background of abundant intake of fatty foods,

with organ injuries.

In healthy people, the acute form of the disease is rare, most often

ere is an exacerbation of the chronic inflammatory process in the gland.

The main sign of acute pancreatitis is unbearable shingles pain in the hypochondrium, accompanied by repeated vomiting and an increase in body temperature. In such cases, patients need urgent medical care in the hospital.

In chronic pancreatitis, the symptoms of the disease may be absent for a long time or be expressed so weakly that people do not pay attention to them.

At the same time, there is a gradual process of replacing healthy cells of the organ with connective tissue, as a result of which the insufficiency of pancreatic functions develops.

Patients begin to worry about aching dull pain, a feeling of bursting, heaviness in the left hypochondrium, arising or intensifying after eating or alcohol, sometimes even in small quantities.

The disease can occur with alternating periods of exacerbation and remission, during exacerbation there are symptoms characteristic of acute pancreatitis.

There are also dyspeptic disorders.

Often in patients with chronic pancreatitis there is a violation of glucose tolerance.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer

Unfortunately, in recent decades, the number of patients suffering from oncological pathologies of this organ has increased.

Tumors can develop from pancreatic cells responsible for its exocrine (enzymatic) function, and can also be hormonally active, developing from special cells.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer most often resemble signs of pancreatitis, but depending on the location of the tumor, there may be other manifestations

. With cancer of the head of the pancreas, a tumor that squeezes the common bile duct grows, as a result of which jaundice is one of the first signs of the disease in patients.

When a tumor occurs in the body or tail of the organ, the symptoms of rapidly progressive diabetes mellitus may come to the fore.

Cysts and pancreatic stones

A pancreatic cyst is a capsule in which the accumulation of fluid is determined.

Cysts can be localized in any part of the organ, symptoms usually appear when they reach large sizes, begin to displace or squeeze nearby organs.

Patients may experience pain in the upper abdomen, digestive disorders, weight loss.

These symptoms are completely nonspecific, and an examination is required to identify their cause. Treatment in most cases is carried out surgically.

The formation of stones in the pancreas is rare, this pathology can develop

independently as a result of the deposition of salts in the tissues of the organ,

or as a result of transferred or concomitant diseases of the pancreas

(although today the causes of the formation of stones in this organ are not completely clear).

Most often, stones are found in the head of the organ,

in most cases they are an accidental find during the study of internal organs for another reason.

Symptoms of the presence of stones in the pancreatic parenchyma

can be pain in the upper abdomen, radiating to the back,

sometimes it is paroxysmal in nature, intensifying some time after eating.

The stone may move into the common bile duct, resulting in signs of mechanical jaundice.

Surgical treatment is used in case of severe disease, accompanied by frequent pain attacks and digestive disorders.

Diagnosis of pancreatic diseases

Ultrasound examination of the pancreas helps to diagnose the inflammatory process in its tissues,

as well as tumors, stones, scars and age-related changes.

If signs characteristic of pancreatic diseases appear,

it is necessary to consult a therapist or gastroenterologist

, who, if necessary, can be sent for consultation to other specialists (endocrinologist, surgeon, etc.).

After examination and installation of a preliminary diagnosis, the doctor will refer the patient to laboratory and instrumental studies.

To confirm the diagnosis, urine, blood tests (clinical and biochemical) are necessary,

indirectly for the presence of pancreatic diseases may indicate deviations in the results of fecal tests.

One of the most informative methods for diagnosing pathologies of this organ

is an ultrasound examination, during which the doctor can determine the size of the organ,

assess the condition of the parenchyma, detect cysts, stones or neoplasms in it.

The doctor can suspect pancreatitis according to the results of X-ray studies of the abdominal organs and EGD.

In difficult cases, for the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases,

the patient may be recommended computer and magnetic resonance imaging,

as well as a biopsy of organ tissues.

Engage in self-diagnosis and self-medication in case of suspected pathology of the pancreas should not be.

The same symptoms can indicate both pancreatitis and the presence of an organ tumor,

and the sooner the diagnosis is established and the correct treatment is prescribed,

the better the prognosis of the disease.

In advanced cases, as a result of chronic pancreatitis,

severe diseases of the digestive system, kidneys,

and heart can develop.

Acute pathologies in the absence of treatment can lead to necrosis of the tissues of the pancreas and death.

Which doctor to contact

When abdominal pain, digestive disorders appear, you should consult a therapist.

The doctor will conduct an initial examination and establis