Pancreas is a common and more serious disease of the digestive system, causing many pains and inconvenience to patients. The self-management of patients, whether acute or chronic, plays a key role in the treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of relapse. Effective self-management skills can help patients reduce symptoms, improve their quality of life and reduce the risk of re-emergence of pancreas.
Eating management: a reasonable mix, regular feeding
Diet is at the heart of the self-management of pancreas. Patients should follow the dietary principles of low lipid, low protein, high vitamins and high food fibres in order to reduce the burden of pancreas. Reduced ingestion of high-fat foods such as fried foods, animal internals, cream products, etc., as high-fat foods can stimulate pancreas to spread large quantities of pancreas and can easily induce inflammation. Limiting protein intake, especially after acute dysentery, and avoiding large amounts of high-protein foods such as meat, eggs, etc., allows for the selection of high-quality plant proteins such as tofu, soybean sour, etc.
Increased intake of fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains, rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fibres, can help to promote intestinal creeping, reduce constipation and lower intestinal pressure, thus indirectly reducing pancreas pressure. For example, spinach, broccoli, apples, bananas are good options. At the same time, attention should be paid to regular food consumption, to avoiding heavy consumption, and to the minimum amount of meals required, at a rate of seven to eight per meal. Avoiding pre-sleep feeding and preventing excessive incubation of pancreas at night.
In addition, strict control of alcohol intake is essential. Alcohol is one of the major contributing factors to pancreas inflammation, which directly harms pancreas tissue, stimulates incubation, and can lead to gestal edema and Oddi’s stasis, preventing normal discharge of pancreas. As a result, persons with pancreasitis must stop drinking, including white wine, beer, wine and alcoholic beverages.
II. Lifestyle adjustment: a combination of effort and relief
Good lifestyles are also essential for the rehabilitation of pancreas patients. Patients should be guaranteed adequate sleep and as high as possible 7 – 8 hours of sleep per night. Insomnia affects the endocrine and metabolic function of the body and can lead to disorders in pancreas and aggravate the condition. (c) Rationalize rest and exercise time to avoid overwork and intense exercise. When the condition is stable, easier sports can be chosen, such as walking, Tai Chi boxing, yoga, etc., with three to five weekly sports of 30 to 60 minutes each, which help to promote the blood cycle and improve the body, but with attention to the strength and extent of the movement and to avoid physical fatigue.
Restraint is also an important element of self-management. Chronic mental stress, anxiety, depression, etc. affect the neuroendocrine system and, in turn, the functioning of pancreas. Patients should learn to regulate their emotions, communicate with their families, friends, participate in social events, and develop interests, such as drawings, calligraphy, music, etc., to ease psychological stress and maintain a positive optimism.
Drug treatment and monitoring: compliance, periodic review
For pancreas patients, drug treatment is often an important means of control. Patients are required to take medication on time and at the appropriate rate, as prescribed by the doctor, and are not allowed to reduce their own volume or stop. For example, in cases of chronic pancreas disease, the use of insulin formulations to supplement insulin may be required for a long period of time, to help digest food and to improve the symptoms of indigestion; if accompanied by diabetes, there is also a need for rational use of sugar reduction drugs or insulin to control blood sugar. In the course of drug use, care is taken to observe the adverse effects of drugs, such as the possibility of gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea following the administration of an insulin formulation, and to inform doctors in a timely manner if the adverse effects are serious.
Regular review is the key to monitoring changes in conditions and adjusting treatment programmes. Patients should regularly visit the hospital, on the recommendation of a doctor, and generally include blood tests, such as blood routines, blood starchase, fat enzymes, blood sugar, liver function, etc., to understand pancreas inflammation, insulin abnormalities, and whether hepatic function is impaired; a visual examination of the abdominal ultrasound, CT etc. allows for visual observation of pancreas morphology, structural changes and determination of if there are any complications, such as gland calcification, cystalema etc. Based on the results of the review, the doctor is able to adjust the drug treatment programme in a timely manner to ensure that the effects of the treatment are maximized.
IV. Disease awareness and prevention: understanding of disease and prevention
Patients and their families should improve their knowledge and understanding of pancreas diseases, recognizing the importance of the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of relapse. Better self-management can be achieved only through a better understanding of the disease. Active prevention of pancreasitis is an incentive for cholesterol treatment for those with cholesterol, which is one of the main causes of cholesterol inflammation, in addition to diet control and alcohol ablution, as mentioned earlier. Periodic medical check-ups are conducted to detect and address possible health problems in a timely manner, such as high-lipid haematosis patients, who should be actively involved in controlling haematological levels, reducing the risk of haematosis through dietary adjustments, exercise and necessary medication.
The self-management of pancreas is a long-term and continuous process requiring the patient to work together in a number of areas, including diet, lifestyle, drug treatment and surveillance, and disease awareness and prevention. Through effective self-management, patients are better able to control pancreas, reduce the number of relapses, improve the quality of life and return to healthy life.
