During the Spring Festival, be careful of pancreatitis! You must know this dietary guide!

During the Spring Festival, when visiting relatives and friends, eating, drinking and toasting are indispensable. However, few people know that among the lavish meals, hidden dangers to health may have been buried.

Experts from the Department of Gastroenterology at Hunan Provincial People's Hospital remind that some gastrointestinal diseases are prone to occur frequently around the Spring Festival. Among them, the more serious and dangerous one is acute pancreatitis, which has an acute onset, rapid progression, and many complications. If the condition is serious or treated improperly, it may be life-threatening.

Recently, Mr. Chen, who lives in Changsha, was rushed to the hospital for treatment due to acute pancreatitis caused by overburdening his pancreas due to consuming a large amount of high-fat food.

Mr. Chen, 43, has been hospitalized for acute pancreatitis many times. Ten days ago, Mr. Chen had a party with friends, and the table was filled with a variety of delicacies. Because the Spring Festival was approaching and he was busy with work, it was rare for him to get together with friends, so he opened his stomach and enjoyed the food. However, on the second day, he suddenly felt severe abdominal pain, accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. His family rushed him to the Mawangdui Campus of Hunan Provincial People's Hospital , and after a series of detailed examinations, he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Fortunately, after active treatment, Mr. Chen has recovered and been discharged from the hospital.

This experience sounded a health alarm for Mr. Chen and made him deeply aware that he needs to always maintain a healthy diet and not overindulge.

Wu Minghao, director of the third ward of the Department of Gastroenterology , introduced that acute pancreatitis is a common sudden digestive system disease. It is an inflammatory response caused by the pancreas' own digestion, often accompanied by severe, difficult to relieve upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, and in severe cases it can cause death.

Some patients will suffer from recurrent acute pancreatitis for various reasons after the first acute pancreatitis is cured. This is called recurrent acute pancreatitis. Recurrent acute pancreatitis will not only increase the patient's physical burden, but also have a certain negative impact on the patient's work and life. Regarding how to eat scientifically and protect health during the Spring Festival, Director Wu Minghao reminds:

1. Diet : Avoid overeating and high-fat foods. It is recommended to eat small meals frequently, choose a low-fat, high-protein, high-vitamin diet, and eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to ensure balanced nutrition.

2. Stop drinking : Alcohol is one of the common causes of pancreatitis. Alcohol can stimulate pancreatic secretion, leading to increased pancreatic duct pressure, thus causing pancreatitis. Therefore, you should avoid drinking.

3. Control your weight : Obesity and hyperlipidemia are both potential risk factors for pancreatitis. We can maintain a healthy weight through a proper diet and moderate exercise to reduce the risk of pancreatitis.

4. Actively treat bile duct diseases : Biliary duct diseases such as cholelithiasis are one of the common causes of pancreatitis. If there are bile duct problems, you should seek medical attention in time to avoid pancreatitis caused by bile duct diseases.

Finally, Director Wu Minghao reminded everyone to pay attention to the combination of work and rest and a healthy diet during the New Year period, and to seek medical attention in a timely manner if you feel unwell.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Tang Yuanyuan and Li Wanxin, Department of Digestive Diseases, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital

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(Edited by YT)