Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas caused by the pathological effects on its tissues of pancreatic enzymes and leading to its necrosis. In other words, substances produced by the pancreas, under certain conditions, begin to digest it. The reason for this is various factors, the leading positions among which are alcohol.
It is the use of alcoholic beverages, especially in combination with fatty and abundant food, is the main cause of pancreatic damage and the development of alcoholic pancreatitis, the main symptoms of which are acute girdling pain, sometimes leading to loss of consciousness and repeated vomiting.
This condition, caused by chronic alcohol use, is called acute alcoholic pancreatitis. Most often it is observed in people who abuse alcohol and suffer from alcoholism.
But this does not mean that only alcoholics can get sick. Not at all. Often there are cases of acute alcoholic pancreatitis in people taking alcoholic beverages only "on holidays" and in moderate doses. Moreover, for the development of the disease of this species it does not matter what exactly the patient drank: cheap moonshine, expensive cognac or vintage wines.
In this case, pancreatitis of this type is more common in young people who have not reached the age of forty, leading a sedentary lifestyle, having "excess" weight and smokers. Moreover, the appearance of these symptoms in a young man who had taken alcohol on the eve of the day should immediately arouse the doctor's suspicion about this disease.
Chronic pancreatitis can be a consequence of acute alcoholic pancreatitis suffered or develop in people who regularly drink alcohol for a long time. At the same time in women chronic alcoholic pancreatitis develops much more rapidly than in men. Its course is always severe, accompanied by acute pain, digestive system disorders, development of diabetes mellitus, blockage of spleen veins and weight loss.
Despite the development of medicine, the prognosis for treatment is unfavorable. A certain improvement can be achieved with complete refusal of alcohol, as well as from fatty high-calorie food and smoking.
Strict adherence to a diet as a method of treatment can lead to partial restoration of pancreatic functions and improvement of general health.
Lifespan
Because this is the most severe form of the disease, any deviation from the rules of treatment can lead to acute attacks, hospitalization and even death. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that the toxic effect of ethyl alcohol on the enzyme system of the body causes a number of changes in its work. The lifespan of alcoholic pancreatitis depends on the degree of severity. Death can come after taking alcohol. The patient may suffer from acute attacks for several years, until he decides to quit drinking. No doctor will tell exactly how long the patient will survive with an alcoholic pancreatic lesion, but if you do not follow a diet and do not give up alcohol, then this time is significantly reduced.
Forecast
With alcoholic pancreatitis, autolysis leads to tissue replacement, acinar to fibrotic. This pathology is characterized by a uniform expansion of the pancreatic duct, the occurrence of increased pressure in it. There are bag-shaped formations, the so-called "pseudocysts".First they are filled with blood and necrotic tissue. With time, homogenization of all the contents begins, the formation of granulation tissue. It ends with the formation of a tight capsule.
Alcoholic pancreatitis, whose predictions are very disappointing, is accompanied by the accumulation of lipids in the acinous cells. Gradually fibrous tissues begin to expand, atrophy of acinous cells occurs. Disease is dangerous in that in the tissues of the pancreas there are protein corks, stenoses and stones in the ducts.