Chronic pancreatitis is a painful and ongoing inflammatory disease of the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ found on the left-hand side of the abdomen, behind the stomach. The pancreas is responsible for secretion of the hormones glucagon and insulin into the blood stream. These two hormones administer the chemical processing of glucose, the important type of sugar in the blood.
The pancreas also produces the digestive enzymes that the small gut uses to break down food in the digestive process. Once digestive enzymes are in the small intestine, they work to break whole foods down into their smallest units: amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates. Digestive enzymes also help to digest all other vital nutrients from the food, such as vitamins, trace elements and minerals.
The digestive enzymes that leave the pancreas hog not even be reformed active. Their enzymatic qualities become functional once they have moved through the main pancreatic duct and met up with bile from the liver. This able digestive meaning then moves into the small intestine to begin the process of digestion.
The pain of pancreatitis begins when the digestive enzymes become active inside the pancreas instead of waiting to begin working inside the small intestine. When this happens, the digestive enzymes are essentially digesting the pancreas. Acute pancreatitis conveys a single episode of the self-digestion of the pancreas. Chronic pancreatitis means the persistent and happening swelling and inflammation of the pancreas mainly due to incorrect enzymatic activity. Chronic pancreatitis generally leads to pancreatic inflammation, scarring and the eventual loss of pancreatic function.
Listed below are three stages of pancreatitis symptoms, moving from the least severe (acute) to most severe (chronic):
1. In the beginning, there may be persistent and severe pain in the region of the upper stomach, fever, abdominal distention. Many people visit the hospital and antibiotics bring down the now swelling and infection. However, many patients accomplish not alter their lifestyle to prevent another future attack of acute pancreatitis. Several acute attacks of pancreatitis can turn into chronic pancreatitis.
2. Without treatment, chronic pancreatitis continues to slowly self-digest and destroy the pancreatic cells. This leads to deficient pancreatic activity. The patient loses weight and produces foul-smelling, greasy, and bulky stools that contain oil droplets. When pancreatic ability becomes impaired, it is common to see a deficiency of essential vitamins, minerals, bicarbonates, and microelements. Accelerated antibiotic utilize often causes dysbacteriosis, or the disturbance of the general flora of the intestines. Antibiotics also unlocked the door for Candida-yeast overgrowth, which weakens the immune system and increases body inner toxicity.
3. Finally, chronic pancreatitis inflicts permanent damage to the pancreas and all pancreatic functions. This chronic impairment of the pancreas can lead to diabetes.
Even when a diagnosis of pancreatitis has been established, patients are oftentimes surprised to learn that it is a disease with few treatment options available complete conventional medicine. Commonly, combining a conventional medical approach with an alternative medical approach can yield the choicest overall results for the patient.
There are many non-drug alternative treatments available for patients with chronic pancreatitis, such as:
Eating a customized diet of curative foods
Drinking healing mineral saturate prepared from genuine Karlovy Vary spring salt (available in US)
Using established herbal medicines and nutritional supplements
Acupuncture
Chiropractic therapy
Point massage
Learning relaxation techniques
In office hypnosis, or self-hypnosis at home with a customized CD
Restoration of friendly intestinal flora through Colon Hydrotherapy and by using probiotics
Programs to get rid of Candida
All of the modalities listed above are safe and active and can combine with medication, endoscopic techniques, surgeries, physical therapies, etc.
By recent scientifical studies and our experience, alternative medicine works to:
Restore normal absorption and digestion
Alleviate abdominal pain
Reduce pressure in the bile and pancreatic ducts
Decrease the swelling and inflammation in the pancreas
Normalize vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and bicarbonate deficiencies
Restore body tissue pH
Re-establish the proper production and elimination of pancreatic juice and bile
Help with diabetes (when present)
Deal with alcohol, tobacco, and chemical dependency, etc. (when present)
The most successful pancreatitis treatments utilize a team approach where conventional medicine and alternative medicine work together to enhance the quality of life for the patient. Such an integrative approach can also extend the life span of patients that suffer from chronic pancreatitis.
The information on this article is presented for educational, informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified licensed professional.