The pancreas: where it is and how it hurts

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

The most important internal organ of the human digestive system is the pancreas. Dysfunctions in her activity are quite common. Therefore, it is important to seek medical attention in a timely manner.

How to treat - the doctor will say. Self-medication can only do harm here. Pain in the pancreas indicates that inflammation has begun in it. This disease is called pancreatitis. For it to begin, there must be good reasons for inflammation in the pancreas.

Anatomical location of the pancreas

The pancreas is located in the abdominal cavity, closer to the I – II vertebrae of the lumbar spine. The organ is tightly attached to the back wall of the stomach, and the duodenum surrounds it, supporting it in the required position.

The parameters of the pancreas of an adult should normally be 20-25 cm, weight - 70-80 grams.

According to the anatomical structure, the organ is divided into 3 component parts: the head, body and tail. The head of the pancreas faces the bile duct, the body is located behind the stomach, closer to its lower part. The transverse colon is normally located near the body. The tail of the pancreas is facing the spleen, and goes to the left hypochondrium. In relation to the navel, from the side of the abdominal wall, the pancreas is located above it, 5-10 cm higher.

You need to know where the pancreas is located in a person in order to distinguish pain from symptoms of other pathologies of internal organs.

How the pancreas hurts

Where the pancreas is located depends on how it hurts. The pain arising from dysfunction of the pancreas is of a different nature. It can be pulling blunt, or cutting sharp. Dagger-type pains indicate that the disease is neglected and the onset of peritonitis is possible, when the peritoneal membranes are involved in inflammation.

Acute pancreatitis, accompanied by edema of the tissues adjacent to the pancreas, gives a sharp sudden pain of the shingles type. It extends up the abdomen, into the left hypochondrium, into the lower back.

Puffiness adds a bursting sensation at the site of the pancreas, pressure from the inside of the ribs.

In such conditions, antispasmodics and other pain relievers are ineffective. The pain subsides somewhat if the person sits down and leans forward, downward. In the absence of pain or at its peak, vomiting may occur, repeated and not bringing pain relief.

Chronic pancreatitis gives less pain, most often after a mistake in eating. Its danger lies in the development of a tumor of the pancreas itself, swelling of adjacent tissues. At this time, it is important not to miss the growth of malignant neoplasms.

Symptoms of pancreatic disease

When the synthesis of pancreatic enzymes decreases, typical symptoms associated with digestive disorders appear. Their intensity depends on the severity of dyspepsia.

The most informative symptoms for a doctor:

• pain is localized at the top of the abdominal cavity, radiates under the left ribs, in the back;
• nausea with frequent vomiting;
• the temperature rises;
• the person begins to sweat a lot;
• loss of appetite;
• great thirst appears;
• the stomach swells and growls;
• upset stools, diarrhea is more common;
• signs of general intoxication are visible;
• bitterness appears in the mouth;
• the liver increases in size;
• severe attacks lead to shock.

Often, the skin color changes, and yellowness appears on them, especially on the abdomen, over the location of the pancreas. With these symptoms, a person should go to bed and call an ambulance.

Decreased enzyme synthesis causes diseases:

• acute pancreatitis;
• edema of the pancreas;
• diabetes;
• pancreatic necrosis;
• cysts;
• cystic fibrosis.

With repeated attacks, acute pancreatitis becomes chronic. Pain appears after eating, but if there is no appetite and the person does not eat anything, then pain does not appear at all. Often, the patient feels signs of toxicosis, aversion to certain foods.

When inflammation begins in one of the parts of the pancreas, it is expressed by special symptoms:

• the inflamed head gives pain under the right ribs;
• inflammation in the body sends a signal of pain to the epigastric zone;
• inflammation affecting the tail of the organ gives off pain under the left ribs;
• inflammation, covering the entire organ, gives pain of the shingles type, shoots the back, the main pains are localized under the left shoulder blade.

Where part of the gland is located, there the main pains appear. However, with general inflammation, the pain shoots in the groin, tailbone, hips and perineum begin to hurt. Such a variety of pain makes diagnosis difficult.

Abdominal pain with indigestion occurs from various pathologies. It is important for the doctor to carry out differential diagnostics, to find out the reasons in order to start directed treatment of the disease.

Causes of inflammation of the pancreas

The pancreas is involved in the digestion of foods high in fats, proteins, carbohydrates. One of its functions is to regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates, in which glucagon and insulin are formed and penetrate into the blood. There are many factors that negatively affect the state of the organ.

The causes of pancreatic disease are:

• drinking alcoholic beverages;
• genetic disposition;
• as a secondary disease in the formation of calculi in the organ and its ducts;
• poisoning;
• viral diseases;
• fungal infections;
• helminthic invasion;
• complications after surgery.

In the presence of such factors, symptoms of pancreatic disease develop. However, statistics show that the disease can have a latent course, when already developed pancreatitis does not make itself felt for a long time with acute attacks, and a person attributes minor pain and disorders due to errors in nutrition.

Symptoms of a latent course are frequent stool disturbances, changes in the color and structure of feces, general weakness, and weight loss.

Diagnostic measures

The doctor prescribes treatment after a detailed diagnosis. In case of painful attacks, first of all, an external examination of the patient is carried out.

Then a survey is assigned:

• laboratory - general blood and urine tests;
• checking the content of pancreatic enzymes in serum;
• biochemistry, showing the presence of glucose, liver enzymes;
• a blood test to determine the indicators of bilirubin;
• urine analysis to determine indicators of amylase;
• analysis of feces to determine the content of residues of enzymes and fat;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, informative examination, which gives the doctor information about the structure, contours of the pancreas, patency of the ducts, the presence of calculi;
• X-rays are taken to obtain the same information;
• CT or MRI, they give more accurate information about the state of all organs associated with the pancreas.

Examination on ultrasound, CT, MRI machines gives a photo, which clearly shows the state of the entire gland and adjacent organs and tissues.

Pain in the gland, due to its complex anatomical location, is often confused with symptoms of other digestive pathologies, therefore, the examination is necessary to clearly specify the inflammation of the pancreas. All examination and further treatment is carried out under the supervision of a gastroenterologist.