Pain syndrome in the pancreas region with different pathologies differs:
- by localization( in the left hypochondrium, epigastric region, right abdomen or in the waist, right and left of the spinal column);
- on the duration and nature of pain( acute, aching, paroxysmal, girdling);
- presence of concomitant symptoms( fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, urination disorders, discoloration of urine, skin rash and itching, chills, weight loss, malaise);
- by irradiation to the navel, back, left abdomen and left hypochondrium.
Pancreatic pain most often manifested in diseases:
- directly pancreatic pathology( inflammation, neoplasms, cysts and pseudocysts);
- for diseases of closely related organs( liver, intestine, stomach, gallbladder, less often with inflammatory diseases of the lungs and pleura, heart pathology);
- with lesions of other organs and systems: neurological( intercostal neuralgia), kidney( urolithiasis or pyelonephritis), pathology of the musculoskeletal system( osteochondrosis of the spine).
Pain in pancreatic disease
Pain syndrome occurs with the development, progression or complicated course of such pancreatic diseases:
- pancreatitis;
- in the presence of congenital cysts or the formation of pseudocysts( acquired cystic formations) in various parts of the pancreas;
- for tumors, benign( adenoma, fibroma, insuloma, hemangioma) or malignant neoplasms( cancer).
Pain in pancreatic diseases is localized in the right, middle or left subcostal area, which is due to the location of the pathological focus( head, body or tail), acquires a shingling character and a different intensity. Also, pain syndrome can give in the back( in the region of the waist), less often in the heart, left arm, collarbone and shoulder blade.
A distinctive feature of pain in diseases of the pancreas is the lack of communication with food intake and the increase in its intensity as the inflammatory process becomes more active with the addition of pronounced edema and necrosis of the gland tissue( pancreatonecrosis).And also with complications - peritonitis, abscesses, suppurating cysts.
With tumors and cystic lesions, the pancreas is sore due to the overgrowth of the organ capsule, compressing the ducts, blood vessels and nerves, so the symptom has a different intensity and localization. In the formation of pancreatic tumors, patients complain of prolonged or paroxysmal pain in the left subcostal area or in the upper abdomen, often the pain syndrome acquires a shingling character, is strengthened lying on the back and decreases in a semi-bent posture.
Pain syndrome in pancreatitis
The structure of the pancreas, its main functions in the body determine the nature of the inflammatory process - noninfectious inflammation of the glandular tissue, which is accompanied by a pronounced edema followed by its disintegration against the background of self-digestion of cells resulting from the action of its own digestive enzymes( trypsin and lipase).Therefore, the pain syndrome in acute pancreatitis differs in different intensity of pain - from dull and aching to acute cutting. The nature of pain depends:
- from the course of the inflammatory process( acute or chronic);
- the volume of the inflammatory process;
- presence of edema and necrosis of glandular tissue;
- involvement in the inflammatory process of the peritoneum.
How does the pancreas hurt in pancreatitis?
In acute pancreatitis, the pain syndrome begins with the upper abdomen and / or the left hypochondrium, which increases after drinking, while eating, lying on the back and accompanied by nausea, fever, bloating, heart rate and diarrhea. Gradually, the intensity of the symptom increases, acquiring a character surrounding the development of pain shock( when pancreatonecrosis is formed), frequent( indomitable) vomiting is observed.
In chronic pancreatitis, dull ache in the upper abdomen and in the navel is noted, more often after eating a large number of fatty foods and accompanied by bitterness in the mouth, flatulence, heaviness in the upper abdomen, diarrhea, nausea and periodic vomiting.
Pain in the head of the pancreas
With the location of the pathological process in the head of the pancreas( inflammation or the presence of cysts, pseudocysts and tumors), the pain is localized in the central part of the upper abdomen with irradiation of the navel or left hypochondrium, left arm or scapula. In the presence of volumetric education( adenoma, insuloma or cancer) in the head area, symptoms of compression of nearby organs( liver and gallbladder) with clamping of the bile duct and development of jaundice are noted. With insuloma, there is a decrease in blood glucose.
How long does the pancreas hurt?
The duration of the pain syndrome in the pathological processes of the pancreas depends on the nature of the inflammation( acute process, subacute flow or chronic inflammatory-dystrophic focus), the attachment of purulent inflammation( abscess, cyst abscess, peritonitis), complicated course of the disease( cyst penetration into the abdominal or pleural cavity, bleeding, rupture of abscess, pancreatic necrosis).
What if I have a pancreas?
If you have a pancreas, it is necessary to make a diagnosis in time, exclude surgical pathology and get the right treatment from a gastroenterologist or surgeon.