What is the pancreas and what is its importance?

What is the pancreas?

The pancreas is an organ in the middle of the abdomen, located behind the stomach and in connection with the gallbladder and duodenum. It is part of the digestive system where it breaks down food using enzymes that it produces and releases into the intestine. Here it works in close cooperation with the liver and gallbladder. The pancreas also produces the hormones insulin and glucagon, which help regulate the amount of sugar in the blood and convert sugar from food into energy for the cells in the body.

Diabetes and the pancreas

Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a disease in which the body’s ability to absorb sugar into the cells is reduced. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, which means that the sugar cannot be absorbed by the cells. In type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced, but the insulin does not work properly.

There is also secondary diabetes, which is a rarer type of diabetes that occurs as a result of a disease of the pancreas. It is also called type 3c diabetes. Secondary diabetes can also be triggered by some types of medical treatment. Most types of secondary diabetes occur because the pancreas, which produces insulin, among other things, is destroyed.

One of the most common diseases that can cause secondary diabetes is inflammation of the pancreas.

Inflammation and irritation of the pancreas

Normally, the enzymes in the pancreas only become active when they mix with food in the small intestine. However, if the pancreas is irritated or inflamed, the enzymes in the pancreas become activated and irritate the tissue inside.

The inflammation resolves on its own in most cases, but can become very serious. In severe cases, the function of other organs such as the heart, lungs and kidneys can be affected.

The typical symptoms are:

• Sudden pain in the upper abdomen around the navel and up
• Radiating pain to the back and/or chest
• Feeling generally unwell
• Nausea
• Some also throw up

What are the causes of pancreatitis?

The most common causes of an irritated pancreas are alcohol, smoking, and gallstones.

Alcohol is the cause in approximately 45% of cases. Gallstones are the cause in approximately 35% of cases.

Gallstones can block the flow of pancreatic enzymes to the bile duct, causing irritation and inflammation of the gland. Other causes of pancreatic reactions can include medications, metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, malignancies, or the aftermath of tests. In some cases, the cause is unknown.

What can be done to avoid pancreatic disease?

Maintain good general health by eating a varied diet, being physically active for at least 30 minutes daily, avoiding smoking and large amounts of alcohol.

Regular physical activity increases blood sugar control, insulin works better, sugar is absorbed faster into the muscles, and fat is better stored and burned. Physical activity thus helps to reduce the amount of both sugar and fat in the blood.

Osteopathy and the pancreas

Osteopathy does not treat organs directly but the connective tissue around the organs. We often experience that it has a positive effect on the patient’s problems. In addition, osteopaths deal with manual treatment and patient guidance of the body’s autonomic nervous system. The system that controls and regulates, among other things, the function of the endocrine system (hormone system).