Pankreatit: Türleri, Belirtileri, Nedenleri, Önlenmesi ve Tedavisi

The pancreas is an organ located between your stomach and spine. The primary capabilities of your pancreas are:

• Releasing strong sindirim enzymes into your small intestine
• Kanınızın glukagon ve insülin salgılamasına neden olur. Vücudunuz bu hormonları, yiyecekleri yakıt olarak nasıl kullandığını düzenlemek için kullanır.

Digestion enzymes that begin to function earlier than your pancreas releases them might cause damage to your pancreas. When this organ gets inflamed, it doesn't work right. This leads to many health problems.

Pancreatitis refers to the medical condition leading to the swelling of the pancreas. It can develop from a minor sore to a severe, even fatal ailment. You may experience back pain in addition to stomach pain if you have pancreatitis.

Pankreatit Çeşitleri

There are two types of pancreatitis: Acute and Chronic.

• Acute Pancreatitis: Acute pancreatitis is marked by an abrupt onset of swelling. It can be caused by your gall bladder stones, drinking too much alcohol, some drugs, sickness or trauma. The signs like extreme stomach discomfort, feeling sick and throwing up can show quickly and strongly. Quick medical help is very important to manage acute pancreatitis and avoid complications. When given the right care, most people who have it get cured. In really bad cases of acute pancreatitis, it can lead to bleeding, excessive damage to the body's tissue, infection, and cysts. Severe pancreatitis can also harm the heart, lungs, and böbrekler, besides affecting the pancreas.
• Chronic Pancreatitis: In contrast, chronic pancreatitis is a long-term condition marked by ongoing inflammation that damages the pancreas. This form of pancreatitis often develops gradually and is linked to long-term alcohol abuse, cystic fibrosis, certain genetic factors, or repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis leads to irreversible damage to the pancreas, affecting its ability to function properly over time. The pancreas' tissues become scarred (fibrosis) as a result of ongoing inflammation, preventing the organ from producing hormones and enzymes.

Pankreatit Belirtileri

The most common symptom of either acute or chronic pancreatitis is discomfort in the middle left upper abdomen. On diagnostic imaging scans, some patients with chronic pancreatitis may show signs of inflammation; nevertheless, they may not exhibit any other symptoms.

• Akut Pankreatit Belirtileri:
  • Sırtınıza yayılabilen ani, yoğun üst karın ağrısı
  • Bulantı, kusma ve karın hassasiyeti
  • Hızlı nabız ve ateş
  • Şişmiş veya hassas karın
• Kronik Pankreatit Belirtileri:
  • Constant, dull stomach discomfort
  • Kilo kaybı and malnutrition due to poor digestion and nutrient absorption
  • Oily, smelly stools resulting from the body's inability to properly digest fats
  • Pankreastaki insülin üreten hücrelerin hasar görmesinden kaynaklanan diyabet

Bir Doktor Ne Zaman Görülür?

Seek emergency medical assistance if you experience chronic stomach discomfort, particularly if it's severe or accompanied by other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or fever. Early identification and treatment are essential to avoid complications and properly manage the illness.

What Causes Pancreatitis?

Akut ve kronik pankreatitin birçok nedeni benzerdir. Bunlar arasında şunlar bulunur:

• Akut pankreatitin en sık görülen nedeni safra kesesi taşlarıdır. Sindirime yardımcı olan bir sıvı olan safra, safra kesesi taşı olarak bilinen küçük topaklar halinde katılaşabilir.
• Aşırı alkol tüketimi zamanla kronik pankreatite yol açabilir.
• Tütün kullanımı.
• Bazı genetik durumlar veya aile geçmişi.
• Elevated blood levels of triglycerides or fat particles.
• Salmonella, hepatit A veya B, kabakulak gibi enfeksiyonlar.
• The pancreas' congenital anomalies.
• Bazı ilaçlar, örneğin bazı antibiyotikler veya bağışıklık baskılayıcılar pankreatite neden olabilir. 

Pancreatitis Risk Factors

Pankreatit gelişme olasılığını artıran çeşitli risk faktörleri vardır:

• An individual's susceptibility to pancreatitis can be genetic.
• Obezite ve aşırı kilo pankreatit riskini artırır.
• Diyabet hastalarında pankreatit görülme olasılığı daha yüksektir.
• Medical pancreatitis predisposition may be extended with the aid of conditions such as cystic fibrosis or excessive triglyceride ranges.
• Sigara içenlerin kronik pankreatit geliştirme olasılığı sigara içmeyenlere göre yaklaşık üç kat daha fazladır. Sigarayı bırakmak da riski azaltabilir.
• Aşırı alkol tüketimi aynı zamanda pankreas kanseri riskinin artmasıyla bağlantılı olan kalıcı pankreatite de yol açabilir.
• Kronik pankreatit, özellikle diğer risk faktörleriyle eşleştirildiğinde birçok genle ilişkilendirilmiştir. Enfeksiyonun aile geçmişi daha yüksek bir riskle ilişkilidir.

Pankreatitin Komplikasyonları

Pankreatit tedavi edilmezse veya yetersiz yönetilirse ciddi komplikasyonlara yol açabilir:

• Kidney failure: Acute pancreatitis may compromise the kidneys' ability to filter waste from the blood.
• Breathing problems: Acute pancreatitis can alter lung function, leading to dangerously low blood oxygen levels.
• Pancreatic Pseudocysts: A pseudocyst is a "pocket" within the pancreas where fluid and particles can accumulate due to both acute and chronic pancreatitis. Ruptures of large pseudocysts can result in complications, such as infection and internal bleeding.
• Infections: Acute pancreatitis may increase the pancreas's susceptibility to infections. Serious pancreatic infections require aggressive treatments, including surgery or other methods to remove infected tissue.
• Diabetes: Diabetic conditions can arise from damage to the cells that produce insulin.
• Malnutrition: Impaired digestion and nutrient absorption can lead to malnutrition.
• Pancreatic cancer: Pancreatic cancer is a risk factor for persistent pancreas infection.

How is Pancreatitis Diagnosed?

Diagnosing pancreatitis involves a series of tests and examinations to confirm this condition and determine its severity. The doctor treating you will review your medical history. A physical checkup will be conducted to assess abdominal tenderness, swelling, or jaundice. Several imaging and blood tests may also be performed, including:

• Kan Testleri: Analysing blood samples for elevated levels of pancreatic enzymes, such as amylase and lipase, whose increased levels indicate pancreatic inflammation.
• Görüntüleme çalışmaları
  • Ultrasound: A non-invasive imaging technique that helps visualise the pancreas and surrounding areas, detecting inflammation or blockages.
  • EUS (endoscopic ultrasound): This internal ultrasonography is performed while you are asleep, using a flexible tube called an endoscope.
  • CT Scan: A detailed imaging method that provides clearer images of the pancreas, aiding in identifying inflammation or complications.
  • MRCP (Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography): This creates detailed pictures of your pancreas, gallbladder, and pancreatic and bile ducts using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To enhance the clarity of the photographs, a dye is injected into your vein.
  • Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): In this procedure, a flexible tube with a camera is passed through the mouth to examine the pancreas, bile ducts, and surrounding areas. It can identify blockages or structural abnormalities.
• Dışkı Testleri: Dışkı örneklerinin yağ içeriği açısından değerlendirilmesi, pankreasın yağları sindirmede düzgün çalışıp çalışmadığını belirlemeye yardımcı olur.
• Biyopsi: Bazen tanıyı doğrulamak veya diğer durumları ekarte etmek amacıyla pankreastan doku örneği alınabilir.

How is Pancreatitis Treated?

Pankreatit tedavisi semptomları hafifletmeye, altta yatan nedene odaklanmaya ve komplikasyonları önlemeye odaklanır. Durumun ciddiyetine bağlı olarak tedavi yöntemleri değişebilir:

• Pain Management: Severe, persistent pain is a common side effect of chronic pancreatitis. Your doctor will not only provide medication but also investigate the underlying causes or painful consequences of chronic pancreatitis. Injections to stop nerve impulses from the pancreas to the brain or surgeries to increase pancreatic outflow are possible forms of treatment. A pain expert could be recommended to you.
• Fluid and Nutritional Support: Patients may require intravenous fluids to prevent kurutma and maintain electrolyte balance. In severe cases where eating is problematic, a feeding tube or nutritional supplements may be necessary.
• Gallstones: It could be advised to have the gallbladder surgically removed if pancreatitis was brought on by gallstones. Cholecystectomy is the term for this operation.
• Alcohol Dependency: An alcohol addiction treatment program is advised if pancreatitis is due to excessive alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol continuously makes pancreatitis worse and can have major consequences.
• Alterations to medications: Your medical practitioner will collaborate with you to explore other choices if a medication is the likely cause of acute pancreatitis.
• Percutaneous Drainage or Surgery: In cases of fluid collection or severe complications, drainage procedures or surgery might be necessary to remove the fluid or treat damaged pancreatic tissue.
• Enzymes to facilitate better digestion: You may use pancreatic enzyme supplements if diarrhoea or weight loss are symptoms of chronic pancreatitis. These enzyme supplements, when taken with each meal, assist your body in utilising and breaking down the nutrients in food.
• Lifestyle Changes: Adopting a low-fat diet, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight are crucial for managing pancreatitis and preventing recurrences.

Prevention of Pancreatitis

Pankreatitin önlenmesi, sağlıklı bir yaşam tarzı benimsemeyi ve pankreas içinde enfeksiyon olasılığını azaltmak için altta yatan risk faktörlerini yönetmeyi içerir:

• Moderate Alcohol Consumption: You can also reduce your chance of developing pancreatitis and defend your pancreas from the dangerous consequences of alcohol by consuming less or not at all.
• Healthy Diet: Maintain a balanced diet that is low in fats, refined sugars, and processed ingredients to support pancreas health.
• Lose Excess Weight by Engaging in Regular Exercise: Gallstones may be prevented from developing by losing excess weight and retaining it by ingesting a balanced food regimen and getting regular exercise.
• Avoid Smoking: Quitting smoking decreases the chances of developing pancreatitis and various related problems.
• Medication Use: Follow prescribed medications cautiously and regularly.

Akut veya kronik olsun, pankreatit acil tıbbi müdahale gerektirir. Zamanında tıbbi bakım almak ve sağlıklı bir yaşam tarzı benimsemek pankreatit riskini ve etkisini önemli ölçüde azaltabilir. Bu yaşam tarzı ayarlamalarına öncelik vererek ve altta yatan sağlık koşullarını yöneterek, bireyler pankreatit geliştirme riskini önemli ölçüde azaltabilir.