Where is the pancreas?

The pancreas is a relatively small gland in our body. Although it is an inconspicuous gland, it plays an important role in digestion. With the improvement of living standards, more and more people are suffering from pancreatitis. The main reason is that many people like to eat high-fat and high-cholesterol foods. In order to avoid pancreatitis, they should develop good living habits and eating habits in life.

Where is the pancreas?

The pancreas is located in the upper abdomen, behind the stomach. If you have pancreatitis, you will have obvious abdominal pain, vomiting and other symptoms, which are more obvious than the abdominal pain, bloating and other symptoms caused by gastritis. You can do pancreatic color ultrasound and pancreatic amylase tests to make a diagnosis. Pancreatitis is a relatively serious disease. If it has been diagnosed, you should consider timely hospitalization for treatment.

Functions of the Pancreas

Deep in our upper abdomen is a very inconspicuous small organ - the pancreas. Although the pancreas is small, it plays an extraordinary role and is one of the most important organs in the human body. Because it is a gland with exocrine function, its physiological effects and pathological changes are closely related to life.

The pancreas is "hidden" behind the peritoneum, so it is far less well-known than the stomach, duodenum, liver, and gallbladder. However, the digestive enzymes in the pancreatic juice secreted by the pancreas play a "protagonist" role in the food digestion process, especially the digestion of fat.

The main component of exocrine secretion is pancreatic juice, which contains alkaline bicarbonate and various digestive enzymes. Its main function is to neutralize gastric acid and digest sugar, protein and fat.

Symptoms of pancreatitis

stomach ache:

Acute pancreatitis usually occurs suddenly, with symptoms including severe upper abdominal pain that radiates to the shoulders and back. Patients feel a "bandage sensation" in the upper abdomen and lower back. The location of abdominal pain is related to the site of the lesion. For example, if the lesion is severe in the head of the pancreas, the abdominal pain is mainly in the right upper abdomen and radiates to the right shoulder; if the lesion is in the tail of the pancreas, the abdominal pain is more severe in the left upper abdomen and radiates to the left shoulder. The intensity of pain is often consistent with the extent of the lesion. If it is edematous pancreatitis, the abdominal pain is mostly persistent with paroxysmal aggravation, which can be relieved by acupuncture or injection of antispasmodic drugs. If it is hemorrhagic pancreatitis, the abdominal pain is very severe, often accompanied by shock, and it is difficult to relieve the pain by general analgesic methods.

Nausea and vomiting:

It appears at the beginning of the disease and is characterized by abdominal pain that cannot be relieved by vomiting. The frequency of vomiting is also consistent with the severity of the lesion. In edematous pancreatitis, there is not only nausea, but also vomiting 1 to 3 times; in hemorrhagic pancreatitis, vomiting is severe or continuous and frequent retching.

Systemic symptoms:

There may be fever, jaundice, etc. The degree of fever is often consistent with the severity of the disease. Edema pancreatitis may not cause fever or only mild fever; hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis may cause high fever. If the fever does not subside, complications may occur, such as pancreatic abscess. The occurrence of jaundice may be due to concurrent biliary disease or compression of the common bile duct by the enlarged head of the pancreas.