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Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy: What You Need To Know
Understanding Pancreatic Enzymes
Your pancreas is key. It makes enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions in your body. Pancreatic enzymes help you digest food.
There are three types of pancreatic enzymes: amylases, lipases, and proteases. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates into sugars which your body uses for energy. Lipase works on fats in foods to break them down so they can be absorbed by the intestines. Lastly, there's protease, this helps to process proteins into amino acids.
Sometimes things go wrong with these enzymes. If your pancreas doesn't produce enough, it leads to a condition called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). EPI can cause diarrhea, weight loss and vitamin deficiencies because nutrients from food aren't being fully digested or absorbed.
Understanding these processes helps make informed decisions about health care options and treatments available if needed.
Need for PERT in Cancer
Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) helps in managing pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI). PEI is a common condition among cancer patients. It occurs when the pancreas doesn't make enough enzymes needed for digestion.
Cancer treatment often affects digestive health. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can damage the pancreas. This leads to PEI. Undigested food causes weight loss and malnutrition in patients.
PERT, critical for such cases, replaces these missing enzymes. They help break down food properly aiding nutrient absorption.
Patients using PERT report better overall health. They gain weight and strength crucial during cancer treatments.
In short, PERT supports healthy digestion in cancer patients facingPEI due to their treatment or disease progression itself.
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Diagnosing Pancreatic Insufficiency
Diagnosing pancreatic insufficiency involves several tests. Doctors first check for signs of malnutrition or vitamin deficiencies. They use blood tests for this purpose. The presence of certain symptoms may also raise suspicion.
Stool Tests are common too. In these, doctors look for fat that hasn't been absorbed by the body. Too much fat in your stool signifies a problem with digestion or absorption.
The Pancreatic Function Test is another method used to diagnose pancreatic insufficiency directly. This test measures how well your pancreas releases enzymes into your small intestine where they help break down food.
In some cases, Imaging techniques like CT scans and MRI's can be helpful as well; they provide a visual inspection of the pancreas structure.
Remember: Early diagnosis improves outcomes significantly! Consult with your doctor if you experience unexplained weight loss, chronic diarrhea, stomach pain after eating fatty foods or other symptoms mentioned above.
Administering PERT Medication
Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) medication helps with digestion. If your pancreas doesn't work properly, PERT is the solution. It replaces enzymes that your body isn't producing enough of.
To administer PERT medication, here's what you do:
- Always take PERT with food.
- Don’t chew the capsules; swallow them whole.
- For best results, take half the dose at the start of a meal and the other half in middle of it.
Remember this: never skip doses or stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor first.
In case you miss a dose, don't double up on your next one! Take only as much as prescribed.
Handling side effects is crucial too:
- If stomach upset occurs, contact professionals immediately.
- Gas and changes in bowel movements are common but tell doctors if they persist.
In conclusion: always follow instructions when administering PERT medicine and keep communication open with healthcare providers for optimal health management.