You might have never heard of Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (ZES), but it is a serious condition that was drastically affect the wellbeing of anyone who has it. The syndrome is a complex health problem in which one or more tumours form inside of your pancreas or in the upper part of your small intestine, known medically as the duodenum. These tumours, which are called gastrinomas, secrete excessive amounts of the hormone gastrin, which in turn makes your stomach believe it needs to produce a large amount of acid. The excess acid, which is not serving any purpose, leads to peptic ulcers.
It’s true that ZES is quite a rare condition. It’s known that the disease can occur at any time in your life, but people are usually diagnosed when they are somewhere between 30 and 50 – this seems to be the age where the disease can be most potent. The standard treatment for the disease is just that – a treatment rather than a cure – you’ll need to take medications to deal with the stomach acid and get rid of the ulcers.
What are the symptoms of ZES?
So, how do you know if you have ZES, or if it’s worth going to the doctor about potentially suffering from the syndrome? There are a number of tell-tale signs that you may have problems with the condition. These can include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, a burning or aching sensation in to your upper abdomen, issues with heart burn and acid reflex, nausea and sickness, general weakness, bleeding in the digestive tract, decreased appetite and unexpected weight loss.
It is definitely worth seeing your doctor if notice that you have a persistent, burning, aching or gnawing pain that is aggravating your upper abdomen, especially if you’ve also been experiencing nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Of course, it’s worth pointing out that these symptoms are fairly common among many health problems
Talk to your doctor if you’ve used over-the-counter acid-reducing medications such as omeprazole often referred to as Prilosec, cimetidine often referred to as Tagamet, famotidine often referred to as Pepcid or ranitidine often referred to as Zantac for long periods of time and this can make a very big difference. These medications are known to be able to mask some of your symptoms, which could delay your diagnosis and allow doctors to prescribe a more effective all round medical treatment. If you have Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, early detection and treatment are important.
What are the causes of ZES?
While there are many people who suffer with ZES, the exact cause of ZES remains relatively unknown. However, we do know that the sequence of events that occurs in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is clear. ZES starts off with the formation of one or more tumours, known as a gastrinomas, form in your pancreas, duodenum or the lymph nodes adjacent to your pancreas.
As you might know, your pancreas is based behind and below your stomach. Its role in the body is to produce enzymes that allow you to digest your food. The pancreas also produces several hormones, such as gastrin, which is a hormone that runs the stomach acid production and tells your body how much you need. Then the digestive juices, taken from the pancreas, liver and gallbladder mix together in the duodenum, which is the part of the small intestine next to your stomach. This is the point where digestion is at its most potent and you are breaking down the food that you’ve eaten.
The tumours that happen with ZES are made up of cells that secrete large amounts of gastrin, which in turn causes the stomach to produce far too much acid. The excessive acid then leads to peptic ulcers and sometimes to diarrhoea.