In alcoholics, it is absolutely necessary to stop drinking alcohol in order to avoid relapses and a gradual transition to chronic pancreatitis.
Chronic pancreatitis
It is a chronic inflammation of the pancreas, causing its destruction over time, often accompanied by significant calcium deposits. Alcohol consumption is still the main cause, so the disease is most often found in alcoholics, especially those who have suffered repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis.
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms vary depending on the stage, but the most common are recurrent painful abdominal crises, sudden weight loss, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and sclera), which is sometimes noticed by others. Later, diarrhea with fatty stools (a sign of malabsorption) and diabetes may occur, which are signs of a deficiency of pancreatic enzymes that ensure the absorption of fat and insulin, a hormone necessary for the use of glucose by the body's cells.
Diagnostics
Pancreatic function can be assessed by collecting digestive juice after eating and measuring blood glucose (blood sugar) on an empty stomach, as well as after eating. Laboratory tests are also useful to see if a patient has anemia, if they have undetected kidney disease, by measuring urea and creatinine to observe total, direct and indirect bilirubin.
Abdominal radiography
Ultrasound and computed tomography examine the morphology of the pancreas. The optimal study for visualizing lesions of the channel inside the pancreas is called retrograde endoscopic cholangiopancreatography or ERCP. It consists in the introduction through the oral cavity of a tube equipped with an optical system reaching the intestine, at the level of the channel through which the pancreatic secretion and bile depart, then by introducing a visible opaque substance, this is observed on radiographs.
Complications
The main complications are the occurrence of recurrent acute pancreatitis and the formation of cysts capable of infecting or squeezing nearby organs.
Treatment
It consists of the final cessation of alcohol consumption, adherence to a diet without excess fat, drugs based on pancreatic enzymes and insulin to compensate for pancreatic insufficiency. In case of serious complications, surgical treatment may be required.
Prevention
As with acute pancreatitis, the fight against chronic alcoholism is necessary to reduce morbidity, and the family plays an important role in supporting and hospitalizing patients with alcoholism in alcohol-free sanatoriums to survive this period. Buraya bak
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