Pancreas is on the brink of death again

This is the 4950th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

"Doctor Wang, my pancreatitis has recurred. Please give me some painkillers. It hurts so much..." I got closer and saw that this was Xiao Li, a patient with severe pancreatitis who had been discharged from the hospital less than two months ago. Upon asking, I learned that Xiao Li's friends had prepared good wine and good food to celebrate his recovery and return to work. Unexpectedly, Xiao Li was sent to the emergency department of our hospital again by the 120 doctor in the middle of the night with unbearable abdominal pain. "Doctor Wang, wasn't my pancreatitis cured? Why is it recurring?..."

Today, we bring a series of questions to Xiao Li to help him solve his mystery.

1. Recurrent pancreatitis

Recurrent pancreatitis refers to repeated attacks of pancreatitis, which is a common disease and can be divided into recurrent acute pancreatitis and chronic recurrent pancreatitis. The former is repeated attacks of acute pancreatitis, with no pancreatic function or histological changes after remission; the latter is repeated acute attacks on the basis of chronic pancreatitis, with existing changes in pancreatic function and structure, such as pancreatic calcification, diabetes, etc.

2. Causes of recurrent attacks

Similar to the initial factors, it is related to biliary tract disease, alcohol, pancreatic duct obstruction, descending duodenum disease, surgery and trauma, metabolic disorders, drugs, infection and systemic inflammatory response.

3. Key points for preventing recurrent attacks

Even after recovery, you should pay more attention to prevent recurrence of the disease.

1. Drink plenty of water and eat a light diet

Drinking less water on a regular basis can lead to calcium crystallization in the human body, increase the risk of gallstones, and thus induce pancreatitis. Drinking more water and avoiding high-fat, cold, spicy and irritating foods can reduce the recurrence rate of pancreatitis.

2. Eat regularly and avoid overeating

Maintain a balanced diet. Overeating will stimulate pancreatic secretion and lead to pancreatitis. To prevent this disease, you first need to correct bad eating habits, learn to chew slowly when eating, and eat no more than 80% full at each meal.

3. Quit smoking and drinking

Tobacco contains a lot of harmful substances, and alcohol is a stimulating drink that may stimulate the secretion of the pancreas. Therefore, in order to prevent the recurrence of pancreatitis, patients should strictly quit smoking and drinking.

4. Prevent and treat bile duct diseases

Gallstones, cholecystitis and other biliary diseases are also common causes of pancreatitis, so actively treating the primary disease can prevent the onset of pancreatitis.

5. Prevent and treat hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia can lead to pancreatic duct calcification and pancreatitis. Eat less high-fat or greasy foods such as meat in your daily diet to avoid increasing triglycerides in the blood. Patients with hyperlipidemia should take lipid-lowering drugs as prescribed by their doctors. Keeping blood lipids within the normal range can reduce the incidence of pancreatitis.

6. Rational use of drugs

If you take medication blindly for a long time, it may also induce pancreatitis. In daily life, try not to take hormonal drugs, contraceptives, etc. on your own. Take medication according to the doctor's orders.

7. Strengthen life management

When the body is overworked, it will lead to a decrease in the body's immunity and increase the risk of illness. If the body has chronic diseases, they will relapse. Therefore, we should strengthen life management, avoid staying up late, avoid overwork, and get more rest, which is good for our health.

8. Regular review

Even if the patient has recovered from pancreatitis, he or she should go to the hospital for regular check-ups. Generally, CT scans, blood and urine amylase tests, etc. can be used to determine whether there is any lesion in the pancreas. Once a lesion is found, timely treatment can also prevent the recurrence of pancreatitis.

For recurrent pancreatitis, three parts treatment and seven parts maintenance should be required.

Emergency Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University

Written by Zhang Li, Head Nurse

Instructed by Chief Physician Pei Honghong