Bingeing on booze, whether on a single day or over a period of time, can put you at the risk of pancreatitis. Being conscious of how much you drink and practising healthy eating can protect you from the disease. Show Peter (32), who has a weakness for whisky, rather overdid it at a friend's birthday party. The next morning, his friends found him curled up like a ball with acute stomach pain. He had to be hospitalised. In another incident, 27-year-old Swati was enjoying the sunshine with friends at a Goa beach when she fell sick. After rushing her to the hospital, the doctor said it was because of the beer and wine she had through the previous night. These two stories have a thread in common. Both Peter and Swati developed pancreatitis, a disease caused by consuming excessive alcohol that can turn a beautiful day into a life-altering nightmare. According to Dr Kumar Parth, consultant surgical gastroenterologist at Sagar Hospital, “pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. Pancreatitis can occur as acute pancreatitis (it appears suddenly and lasts for days) or as chronic pancreatitis (that develops over many years).” « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to meThey disrupt the reading flowOthers SUBMIT “However, the acute form occurs suddenly and may be a severe life-threatening illness with many complications. Usually, the patient recovers completely. If the injury to the pancreas continues, such as when a patient continues drinking alcohol, a chronic form of the disease may develop, bringing severe pain and reduced functioning of the pancreas that affects digestion,” said Dr Ravi Gaur, COO of Onquest Laboratories, New Delhi. Watch out for these Acute pancreatitis generally presents as severe upper abdominal pain radiating to the back, most of the time associated with nausea or vomiting. Common signs of chronic pancreatitis include severe upper abdominal pain that can travel along the back and is more intense following a meal, said Parth. Dr Vibhu Mittal, senior gastroenterologist, department of gastroenterology at Max Hospital, Ghaziabad, said: “The major functions of the pancreas are to secrete hormones (insulin and glucagon) into the blood stream to convert food into energy. And the second function is to aid digestion by secreting powerful digestive enzymes into the small intestine. But when these digestive enzymes are activated prior to the release time, they start attacking and damaging the pancreas causing this condition.” The usual symptoms include extreme pain in the upper abdomen with abdominal distension and vomiting. Pain may radiate to the back. In severe cases, there can be internal bleeding, tissue damage and formation of cysts that can affect other vital organs like the kidneys, lungs and heart. Such prolonged tissue damage can also cause insulin-glucagon imbalance leading to diabetes. This may be a rapidly worsening disease leading to involvement of other organs within a matter of days, Mittal explained. There is an around 10% risk of death associated with this disease, which may go up to 30-70% depending on the severity, he added. Likely causes and risk factors However, Mittal said most pancreatitis cases could be attributed to lifestyle factors. After gallbladder stones, bingeing on alcohol, especially among the young, is one of the prime reasons. Prolonged alcohol abuse is a major reason that damages the pancreas gradually and may not symptomise for years, but causes sudden and irreversible damage. Even though 10-20% of the cases are hereditary and sporadic, more than 70% of those are treatable in early stages with timely intervention. Family history of cystic fibrosis and high cholesterol levels are added risk factors. Eating wrong a culprit Treating the disease If the condition is diagnosed during the early stages, the patient may be treated with IV fluids and pain-killer medications. If the condition worsens, the patient may need to be closely monitored to prevent the damage spreading to other parts of the body, Mittal said, and added that in extreme cases, where the pancreatic tissues completely die, the damaged part needs to be removed surgically to prevent an infection. People with pancreatitis should adopt a diet that is high in lean protein and low in fat. Pancreatic enzyme supplements may be prescribed to facilitate the digestive process, Parth said. Prevention's easy Parth advised: “Avoid alcohol, stop smoking and maintain a healthy weight as obesity can increase the risk of developing gallstones, which can lead to pancreatitis if the stones get trapped in the duct that allows digestive enzymes to exit the pancreas.” Including fresh fruits and vegetables and food rich in antioxidants such as dark leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, grapes and walnuts are beneficial. Right Nutrition, Mindful Eating: Key To Healthier, Happier YouHealth Is The Key To HappinessBy IANS The road to a happier you is right nutrition and mindful eating as well as staying away from too much of caffeine and sugar, suggests Rueben Ghosh, Co-Founder and Culinary Director at Yumlane and Kashmiri Barkakati, food expert at Momspresso. Here's how to do it right. Why does my side hurt after I drink alcohol?Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: Symptoms
The main symptom for steatosis is upper-right abdominal pains near the liver. Once the liver damage progresses further into acute hepatitis, typical symptoms include fever, abdominal pains, nausea and vomiting, and jaundice.
Can alcohol cause pain in left side of stomach?Some evidence suggests alcoholic drinks can make your stomach produce more acid than usual, which can gradually wear away your stomach lining and make it inflamed and painful (gastritis). Over weeks or months, this could mean you develop painful ulcers in your stomach lining.
What organ hurts when you drink too much alcohol?Alcohol can cause gastritis by irritating the lining of the stomach. Gastritis can happen while you are drinking, causing pain and sickness. Gastritis can also be a long-lasting condition.
Where do you feel liver pain from alcohol?The early stages of alcohol-related liver disease often have no symptoms. Because of this, you may not even know that you've experienced liver damage due to alcohol. If symptoms are present, they may include: swelling of your liver, which may lead to discomfort in the upper right side of your abdomen.
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