The pancreas is an elongated cone-shaped gland, located behind the stomach. It is responsible for endocrine and exocrine secretion. The first plays an important role in the digestion of food. The second, on the other hand, maintains the balance of the organism’s functions and the chemical-physical characteristics of its internal environment, with respect to variations in the external one. In fact, by secreting pancreatic juice, this gland performs the function of digestion of substances present in the small intestine, but also produces insulin and glucagon, which control the concentration of glucose in the blood. However, the pancreas can be prone to inflammation if the enzymes produced by gastric juices attack the gland itself, causing damage to the organ’s parenchyma. But how can we know that something is wrong?
Weight loss, swollen abdomen and aerophagia could be the not too silent spies of the malfunction of this very important gland
If there is any malfunction and, in severe cases, inflammation of the pancreas, we may experience several of these symptoms:
- swollen abdomen;
- abdominal pain at the gland;
- aerophagia;
- indigestion;
- nausea and vomit;
- lack of appetite;
- intense salivation;
- weight loss;
- greasy or light-colored and floating stools;
- fever.
In the event that these persist for some time we speak of pancreatitis, or an inflammation of the gland. This can be of two types: chronic or acute. The chronic is the result of a prolonged mild inflammation, the acute one suddenly presents itself with severe pain. The causes can be different. In addition to an unregulated life, rich in alcohol for example, the inflammation could be due to the presence of gallstones or diagnosed diabetes.
Prevention is better than cure
So, a good way to prevent this type of problem is to have very simple blood tests regularly. The tests are used, in this specific case, to check the levels of two enzymes produced by the pancreas: lipase, an enzyme that digests fats, and the amylase responsible for the digestion of carbohydrates. Other useful tests can be: blood count, triglycerides, glucose, calcium, magnesium, C reactive protein. In these cases, weight loss, swollen abdomen, aerophagia and values that are too high compared to the reference ones can be a sign of malfunction. Furthermore, in terms of prevention, you can also opt for an ad hoc diet with foods particularly recommended to promote the proper functioning of the pancreas. Sweet and cooked fruit, vegetables, 2L of water a day, stale bread, low-fat dairy products, lean meats and fish are our best allies.