Pancreas, what's wrong with you?

As the weather turns colder, steaming hot pot has become the first choice for many people. Sitting around the stove and enjoying the warmth and satisfaction brought by hot pot is undoubtedly a great pleasure in winter. However, behind this warm enjoyment, there is a hidden health risk that is not well known - acute pancreatitis.

What is acute pancreatitis?

Acute pancreatitis refers to an inflammatory injury caused by the activation of pancreatic enzymes in the pancreas due to various causes, which leads to self-digestion of pancreatic tissue, resulting in edema, bleeding, and even necrosis.

What symptoms occur during an acute pancreatitis attack?

The main symptoms are acute upper abdominal pain, which is persistent and can radiate to the waist and back, nausea, vomiting, fever, increased blood and urine amylase or lipase, and in severe cases, multiple complications such as local pancreatic complications and multiple organ failure. If such symptoms occur, you should go to the hospital in time to avoid delaying treatment and causing the disease to progress.

So, how do we prevent acute pancreatitis?

1. Control your diet: Avoid overeating, especially greasy or high-fat foods, which may lead to acute pancreatitis. As we all know, the pancreas is a digestive organ. As long as the human body ingests food, the pancreas will start working to help digest the food. However, if the amount of food consumed suddenly exceeds the body's needs, the pancreas needs to work non-stop to process the extra food. Under continuous high-load work, the pancreas will secrete too many digestive enzymes, which may irritate the pancreas itself and cause inflammation. Therefore, we should have a balanced diet, avoid overeating, eat more vegetables and fruits, and eat less fatty meat, animal offal, and high-fat foods such as walnuts and peanuts.

2. Drink moderately: Studies have shown that the occurrence of acute pancreatitis is significantly correlated with alcohol consumption. If the weekly alcohol intake is more than 420g, the risk of acute pancreatitis will be greatly increased. Drinking a lot of alcohol can increase the secretion of pancreatic juice, stimulate the spasm of the 0ddi sphincter, edema of the duodenal papilla, and block the discharge of pancreatic juice, which increases the pressure in the pancreatic duct and causes acute pancreatitis. With the development of my country's economy and the prevalence of "wine culture", the incidence of acute pancreatitis is also rising. Therefore, we should drink moderately when dining together and avoid alcoholism.

3. Exercise moderately and maintain a healthy weight: Proper exercise can help digestion, reduce the burden on the body, and prevent pancreatitis. After a full meal, do not fall asleep immediately. You can choose to exercise by taking a walk.

4. Reasonable work and rest schedule: Maintaining adequate sleep and a regular work and rest schedule can help maintain good health and prevent pancreatitis.

5. Regular check-ups: People with a family history of biliary tract disease or pancreatitis should undergo regular check-ups for early detection and treatment.

Although the pancreas is small, its health is important. Let us work together to protect the health of our pancreas!