Chronic indurative pancreatitis is a lesion of the pancreas that occurs when the acute form of this disease is not treated correctly. It is characterized by the replacement of glandular tissues with connective tissues, the organ greatly increases or decreases in size, and its secretory functions deteriorate.
Chronic indurative pancreatitis is a lesion of the pancreas that occurs due to improper treatment of the acute form.
Causes
Why does indurative pancreatitis develop? The reasons are poor nutrition. Irregular, unsystematic consumption of food leads to disruptions in the functioning of the pancreas. Most often, the pathology makes itself felt against the background of addiction to fast food, fatty foods, all kinds of smoked meats, and products that contain an abundance of spices and salt.
The progress of chronic indurative pancreatitis is facilitated by the presence of bad habits. We are talking about regular consumption of alcohol along with an abundance of smoked cigarettes. Elements of the breakdown of alcohol inhibit the stable functioning of the pancreas. In combination with tissue saturation with nicotine, local structures are destroyed. Previously healthy areas of the gland are replaced by connective fibers.
Indurative pancreatitis often occurs against the background of a person’s tendency to depression. Prolonged emotional shocks lead to suppressed immunity. The result is the inability of the pancreas to resist inflammation.
Causes and risk factors
Indurative pancreatitis most often occurs in elderly people; the following factors lead to the development of the disease in young patients:
- Poor nutrition. Violation of the functions of the pancreas is facilitated by irregular meals, non-compliance with the diet prescribed by the doctor, and consumption of fatty, fried, smoked and salty foods.
- Smoking, drinking alcohol. Alcohol breakdown products adversely affect the condition of glandular tissues, promoting their destruction and replacement with connective tissue fibers.
- Poor circulation in the abdominal cavity.
- The presence of benign or malignant pancreatic tumors.
- Deficiency of vitamins and microelements.
- Advanced forms of acute pancreatitis.
- Diseases of the liver, intestines, stomach, gall bladder (cirrhosis, malignant tumors, ulcerative lesions.
- Depressive disorders, frequent stress. They contribute to a decrease in immunity, against the background of which inflammatory processes begin to develop.
Automune aggression. This pathological condition is characterized by the production of antibodies that destroy healthy cells.
Symptoms
Symptoms of indurative pancreatitis are similar to signs of the development of acute inflammatory processes in the structure of the liver. As clinical statistics show, diabetes mellitus develops in half of cases against the background of the disease. The trouble is observed due to the inhibition of tissues that perform endocrine functions, in particular those responsible for the synthesis of insulin.
The clinical picture of the disease indurative pancreatitis is as follows:
- Regular attacks of nausea, which cause an abundance of vomit. Emptying the stomach of poorly digested food does not bring relief. Poor health is observed throughout the day.
- Development of constipation, diarrhea. A general stool disorder makes itself felt. The patient has to suffer from increased gas formation.
- Dull girdle pain in the pancreas area. The discomfort gradually moves to the hypochondrium area, under the shoulder blade, and radiates to the back. There is a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
- There is a noticeable loss of body weight. The problem arises against the background of conscious refusal of food. The action is due to the fear of the formation of new attacks of unbearable pain.
- After eating, a person often feels general weakness, suffers from sluggish tone, and increased temperature. Troubles are reflected in a decrease in performance.
Symptoms and manifestations
The clinical picture of indurative pancreatitis does not differ from that in the acute form of this pathology. It includes:
- Attacks of nausea and vomiting that do not bring relief to the patient, which most often occur when the principles of proper nutrition are violated.
- Indigestion. Chronic constipation is replaced by diarrhea, increased gas formation and rumbling in the stomach are observed.
- Signs of obstructive jaundice. There is yellowing of the skin and sclera, changes in the color of feces and urine.
- Severe pain in the upper abdomen, spreading to the back, right hypochondrium and stomach.
- Signs of body intoxication. The patient complains of headache, general weakness, and fever.
- Feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
- Decreased appetite, sudden weight loss.
- Lethargy, decreased physical activity and performance after eating food.
- Signs of diabetes (thirst, frequent urination, numbness of the limbs, itchy skin).
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Forms of the disease
Doctors distinguish several types of indurative pancreatitis.
The mild form of the disease is characterized by subtle disruptions in the functioning of the pancreas. A person practically does not feel discomfort in the area of the digestive organs. Exacerbations, accompanied by prolonged attacks of pain and stomach upsets, occur several times a year.
The development of the moderate form of indurative pancreatitis is accompanied by a higher frequency of exacerbations. You experience suffering a couple of times during each season. The pain is severe and long-lasting.
Severe pathology is accompanied by continuous relapses. Each time the pain becomes more acute. There are serious disruptions in the functioning of the pancreas, which has the most negative impact on the well-being and condition of the entire body.
Diet for chronic indurative pancreatitis
Proper nutrition can significantly slow down the progression of pathology. Strict adherence to a special diet allows you to normalize the functioning of the digestive organs and reduce the concentration of glucose in the blood structure. A prerequisite for a fruitful fight against the development of the disease is the exclusion from the diet of sweet foods, various kinds of smoked foods, sour vegetables and fruits, carbonated drinks, and canned food.
Diet for pancreatitis of the pancreas, sample menu:
- Breakfast - porridge, omelette cooked in a steam bath, unsweetened tea, a small slice of cheese.
- Lunch – lean vegetable soup, boiled poultry fillet, moderately sweet fruit jelly.
- Afternoon snack – low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt, unsweetened biscuit.
- Dinner - mashed potatoes or zucchini, stewed fish fillet, steamed cutlets, fruit compote.
Elderly people are offered a slightly different diet for pancreatitis of the pancreas. A sample menu includes a chicken fillet-based lean soup for breakfast. For lunch, lazy dumplings with low-fat cottage cheese, baked apples or pears, and carrot soufflé are served. In the evening, it is recommended to consume vegetable puree soups. Compliance with such a diet is associated with slow metabolism in the body of older people and a tendency to constipation.
Diet for illness
Compliance with the correct dietary intake will be the key to successful drug treatment, therefore, it is recommended to completely eliminate from the daily diet the consumption of foods that contribute to irritating the mucous surfaces of parenchymal organs and provoking inflammatory processes. Among these foods, the following have a particular level of negative impact:
- semi-smoked and smoked food products,
- fried foods,
- foods with high levels of spice and salt,
- carbonated water and alcoholic drinks,
- canned foods.
The use of infusions and decoctions based on medicinal herbs: violet, chamomile, St. John's wort, immortelle and rose hips will help prevent the recurrence of pathology.
But it is worth noting that the use of folk remedies must be previously agreed with the attending physician.
Diagnostics
An effective method for making a correct diagnosis is ultrasound. As a result of the event, doctors have the opportunity to detect pathological changes in the structure of pancreatic tissue.
During the examination, the patient is often prescribed an x-ray. This diagnosis allows you to notice areas of tissue where calcium concentration occurs. The sign is evidence of endocrine disruption and speaks of the prerequisites for the formation of pathology.
Diagnostic procedures
To most accurately identify the general condition of a parenchymal organ and make a correct diagnosis, the following types of diagnostic procedures are prescribed:
- Ultrasound diagnostics is necessary to visualize the structural features of the parenchyma, as well as to identify the development of possible compactions.
- A CT scan is performed if the development of a pancreatic tumor-like neoplasm is suspected.
- If severe complications of the pathology develop, an x-ray examination of the abdominal cavity is prescribed, which makes it possible to identify all the problems of the affected organ and detect the presence of calcifications in the cavity of the gland.
- Endoscopic examination is necessary to assess the degree of blockage of the pancreatic ducts, detect stones and cystic lesions of the organ, as well as to determine the size of developing compactions.
A comprehensive type of examination is considered the most informative, allowing the doctor to assess the condition of the affected organ from different angles and correctly determine the type of pathology.
Drug therapy
In order to treat indurative pancreatitis, doctors prescribe the following pharmacological agents:
- “No-Shpa”, “Papaverine” - have an antispasmodic effect on pancreatic tissue.
- “Almagel”, “Phosphalugel” - biologically active substances in the composition of the products reduce the level of acidity of gastric secretions.
- “Festal”, “Creon”, “Methionine”, “Pancreatin” - the components of the drugs are sources of essential enzymes that are required for the normal functioning of the pancreas.
- Vitamin complexes – contribute to the overall strengthening of the body and the maintenance of immunity.
Treatment
Treatment of indurated acne is lengthy and should only be done by a specialist. Self-medication can have a negative impact on the general condition and often ends in hospitalization in the surgical department.
If there are a lot of purulent formations, then systemic antibiotics are prescribed, which are used either in the form of tablets or in the form of an injection solution. But the drug is prescribed only after a sensitivity test.
Medicines with antibiotics and for external use are also prescribed at the same time. The most commonly used drugs are from the group of retinoids and ointments with azelaic acid. Also, external agents that contain zinc are very helpful in treatment.
Treatment should be comprehensive and include not only taking medications, but also procedures such as:
- Phototherapy.
- Darsonvalization.
- Ultrasound.
- Microcurrents.
- Laser.
In order to improve the protective properties of the skin at the site of the lesion, ozone therapy and blood irradiation, both ultraviolet and laser, are performed.
Adequate treatment, which will be carried out for a strictly defined period of time, will lead to the fact that the ulcers will resolve, and there will be no scars or scars left.
Treatment of the scars themselves, which can form after induration acne, is also carried out comprehensively. In this case, mesotherapy, laser or phenol peeling, cryotherapy or cryomassage, as well as the use of various preparations with collagen are used.
This treatment is carried out only after complete treatment of the inflammation.
Author - Anna Mikhailova, dermatologist-cosmetologist of the first category, specialist at the Academy of Scientific Beauty. Especially for the site “Treating Acne”.
Traditional methods of treatment
The use of the following remedy allows you to avoid relapses of attacks of indurative pancreatitis. Take a tablespoon of crushed dried St. John's wort, dandelion, knotweed, violet flowers and corn silk. The ingredients are poured into a liter of boiling water. The composition is boiled over low heat for half an hour. The medicine is allowed to brew for 10-15 minutes. The liquid is decanted and consumed warm in a glass before each meal.
To get rid of the characteristic discomfort during the development of the disease, it is possible to take tincture of golden mustache. They use the large root of a medicinal plant. The raw materials are finely chopped, placed in a glass jar and filled with strong alcohol in an amount of 200-250 ml. The product is sealed with a lid, after which it is sent to infuse in a dark place for 2 weeks. The finished medicine is taken 10 drops after meals.
general information
When the disease occurs, severe inflammation of the sebaceous glands occurs. They are found in large numbers on the chin, forehead, cheeks, nose and back. It has been proven that this severe type of acne mainly develops against the background of existing seborrheic dermatitis, which produces a lot of sebum.
The secretion of these glands is removed from the ducts with great difficulty, which is associated with its increased viscosity and thickness. Therefore, without proper care for such skin, the ducts can simply become clogged.
Accumulated sebum is an ideal environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, which are always on the surface of the skin, but do not cause any harm to it until the events we describe begin to occur.
As a result, a strong inflammatory process begins to develop. Moreover, inflammation covers not only the superficial layers of the epidermis, but also penetrates the dermis itself, and in the most severe cases can reach the subcutaneous tissue.
In stage 4 acne, when indurative and conglobate acne begins to develop, noticeable scars almost always remain after therapy.
Surgical intervention
If drug therapy and alternative treatment of the disease do not produce results, doctors resort to surgical methods to eliminate the problem. The following techniques are used:
- Stenting – a mesh frame is introduced into the structure of the pancreas, which improves the patency of local ducts.
- Resection – necrotic tissue areas are amputated, calcium accumulations are removed, and malignant neoplasms are excised.
- Cholecystectomy – the gallbladder is partially removed if there is a complete blockage of the organ’s ducts.
Prevention
The disease belongs to the category of chronic pathologies, which are accompanied by periodic exacerbations. In case of an individual tendency to develop pancreatitis, a number of preventive measures are required. Regular, balanced nutrition along with leading a healthy lifestyle makes it possible to avoid the occurrence of unpleasant symptoms. To find out about products that can provoke the onset of illness, consult an experienced doctor.
You need to understand that indurative pancreatitis is a serious disease that cannot be completely cured. Therefore, it is extremely important for people with high acidity of digestive juices and a weak pancreas to lead a healthy lifestyle, eliminating the maximum number of risk factors.