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Liver, Sphincter of Oddi, and Gallbladder Disorders May Trigger Chronic Pancreatitis

A significant number of people suffering from acute pancreatitis, end up in the hospital. An episode of acute pancreatitis can include abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, fever, etc. The pancreatic bout can be sudden and painful. Having a swollen pancreas is not enjoyable. Once the symptoms and the episode have subsided, usually patients are discharged. Often, they are discharged without a game plan. They do not have a treatment plan nor do they know the underlying causes of their symptoms. Why they got sick remains unknown.

Since many people do not know why they were sick in the first place, subsequent episodes of pancreatitis occur. Statistics note that individuals who have experienced more than one acute bout of pancreatitis tend to develop chronic pancreatitis. Symptoms reappear along with more pain, but still these people have no idea what is causing chronic pancreatitis. Without knowing the root problem or having a treatment plan, people don't know what to change. Some will keep eating unhealthy foods or continue to drink alcohol.

Chronic pancreatitis is not trivial. Individuals who suffer from chronic pancreatitis need to take action. What is pancreatitis? How is their liver? What lifestyle changes required to be made so that they can have a healthy liver, sphincter of Oddi, gallbladder, and pancreas?

The liver, gallbladder and the pancreas go hand in hand. In fact, the entire gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) works as one cohesive, well-synchronized unit. The organs of the upper GI tract (the stomach, the liver, the gallbladder, the pancreas, and the duodenum) all work seamlessly together. If one works improperly, the entire unit is adversely affected. Digestive hormones and the nervous system are also vital to the proper functioning of the GI tract. They, too, are impacted by any adverse conditions that are happening to the liver, the gallbladder, and pancreas.

The liver is as important to the body as a quarterback is to a football team; it has huge responsibilities and essential tasks to perform. Without a doubt, the most important job of the liver is to produce and secrete bile. Bile is a key player in the digestive process. All food that is consumed makes its way to the gut. In the duodenum with the help of the bile, fatty food converts into the small particles that can be absorbed by the body; these vital nutrients are needed to sustain our cells and overall health.

Let's zoom in to see how the liver, the pancreas and the gallbladder work harmoniously together. It starts with the cells in the liver that secrete bile into a network of small ducts. These small ducts converge at the common bile duct, which carries bile from the gallbladder and liver to the duodenum. Common bile duct and pancreatic duct combine before reaching duodenum. The pancreatic duct carries the pancreatic juice containing pancreatic digestive enzymes.

Both bile and pancreatic ducts go into a small cavity called the Ampulla of Vater. At this juncture, it needs to be pointed out that the pressure inside the pancreatic duct needs to be higher than the pressure within the common bile duct. Bile should not reach the pancreatic cells because it may create premature activation of the digestive enzymes and self-digestion. Therefore, a blend of bile and pancreatic juices goes through the Ampulla of Vater into the duodenum that is the beginning of the small intestine.

In the duodenum's wall, there is a muscle valve called the Sphincter of Oddi. The Sphincter of Oddi controls the secretions from the liver, the gallbladder, the pancreas into the duodenum. The Sphincter of Oddi works one-way-it keeps moving the bile and pancreatic juices onward to the small intestine. When digestion does not occur in the duodenum, the Sphincter of Oddi remains closed. No bile or pancreatic juice should move backward and try to re-enter the pancreatic duct.

What if the Sphincter of Oddi does not work properly? If this sphincter experiences spasms or blocks, pancreatic juices and bile may back up. Increased pressure within the pancreatic duct follows. Pancreatic digestive enzymes that are now stuck may start to digest pancreatic cells. This scenario is not good, and it can lead to congestion, inflammation, pain, cysts and even the death of pancreatic tissue. It is chronic pancreatitis.

Gallbladder stones can impede bile flow. The pressure within the Ampulla of Vater can increase due to the back-up of pancreatic juices. This condition medically is known as biliary-pancreatic reflux. As there are some possible culprits, which can cause bile to solidify, so there are many possible reasons for gallbladder stones. Poor eating habits, whole body acidity, hormonal changes, lack of exercise, being overweight or being obese can all be potential triggers. Gallbladder stones can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball.

Illnesses and diseases that affect the liver, the gallbladder and the pancreas are difficult to treat solely with conventional Western Medicine methods. Since pancreatitis can shorten one's life expectancy, it is crucial to tackling pancreatitis with a full arsenal of treatments that have proven to work.

Along with Western Medicine practices, complementary non-drug therapies can reduce the symptoms that accompany chronic pancreatitis and improve a person's quality of life. Many of these non-drug, alternative medicinal modalities and methods can also decrease the build-up of internal pressure in the pancreatic duct, alkalize bile and pancreatic juice, encourage better digestion, reduce inflammation, and lessen pain. Some of these alternative medicinal treatments include:

- A prescribed alkaline diet and healing foods

- Herbal medicine

- Acupuncture

- Nutritional supplementation

- Abdominal manipulation and chiropractic adjustment

- Drinking Karlovy Vary mineral water made from the genuine Karlovy Vary thermal spring salt

- Relaxation techniques, hypnosis, and self

-hypnosis by using a customized CD for home use

- Colon hydrotherapy that restores friendly intestinal bacteria

- Anti-Candida program

Most of these alternative medicinal treatments work effectively alongside prescribed medications, surgeries, endoscopic operations, physical therapy, etc. Although medical professionals will look at chronic pancreatitis from many angles to pursue treatment methods, pancreatitis remains a challenging illness to treat. Often, liver, gallbladder, sphincter of Oddi and bile ducts disorders are direct links to pancreatic illnesses and diseases. To really help a person suffering from pancreatic disorders, the liver and bile need to be focused.

One treatment method for the liver, gallbladder and pancreas problems has existed for hundreds of years. There is a mineral spring in a small town in the Czech Republic called Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).

European doctors have been sending patients to this mineral spa to drink the spring's healing mineral water for 250 years. For those patients who could not travel to the spring, they used the at-home kit. The mineral spring produces salt. This vaporized mineral salt was shipped throughout Europe. The person would dissolve the recommended amount of mineral salt into warm water and drink it according to the doctor's orders. Czech scientists and doctors who studied this mineral water determined that the same healing that occurred directly at the mineral spring in Karlovy Vary also occurred with the at-home kits. It was a win-win for everyone.

As this treatment method has been around for a long time, it has also been studied for a long time. Many articles and studies in Czech, German, and Russian were published. Since most of these findings were not printed in English, this healing mineral water has remained relatively unknown in North America.

Karlovy Vary healing mineral water stimulates the stomach and small intestine (duodenum) to release digestive hormones. These digestive hormones manage the entire digestive process, promote secretion and release of bile and the pancreatic juices, and regulate the proper function of the gallbladder, the pancreatic ducts, and the sphincter of Oddi.

This healing mineral water also supplies the pancreas with key minerals, trace elements, and bicarbonate, all of which are main ingredients of the bile and pancreatic juice. Karlovy Vary mineral water tackles two major problems: pancreatic inflammation and pancreatic deficiency.

European doctors and scientists also noted that this healing mineral water benefits everyone, from those who have chronic pancreatitis to those who are healthy and well. In all the studies and tests performed, Karlovy Vary healing water increased not only the amount of pancreatic juices and activity of digestive enzymes, but also decreased the pressure inside the pancreatic duct, and it promoted the secretion and increased the activity of pancreatic enzymes. This healing spring water from Karlovy Vary helps the pancreas work well no matter how a person's health is.

The information in this article is presented for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, and advice of a qualified licensed professional.

Peter Melamed, PhD received his medical education first as a registered nurse, then as a medical doctor in Russia. He had specialized training in anesthesiology, intensive care, and internal medicine. Working as a physician, he became interested in holistic healing through his clinical experience with herbs, acupuncture, healing mineral water, and internal cleansing. He was granted a license to practice acupuncture in Russia in 1978, and from that time, he combined conventional Western medical treatment with herbs, acupuncture, and other non-drug healing therapies.

In 1975, Peter Melamed established "Biotherapy" as a natural, holistic approach to healing.After immigrating to the USA and passing all required medical examinations, Peter Melamed succeeded in starting up a private practice in 1996 at the Biotherapy Alternative Medicine Clinic of San Francisco in the Bay Area.

Peter Melamed is the author of many medical and popular articles along with his eBook: Healthy Pancreas, Healthy You. This book is a revolutionary new guide to healing pancreatic and other digestive disorders without medications and surgery. His article "Chronic Metabolic Acidosis Destroys the Pancreas" was published in the exceptionally prestigious European medical magazine Journal of the Pancreas in 2014.

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