The sphincter of Oddi, named after Ruggero Oddi, an Italian anatomist who described this structure in 1887, is the muscular valve that regulates the flow of bile and pancreatic juice into the duodenum (beginning of the small intestine). The regulation of the sphincter of Oddi is achieved through the nervous system and blood by special messengers – digestive hormones.
If there is no food in the intestine, the sphincter of Oddi valve remains closed. Bile is retained in the gallbladder and pancreatic juice is retained in the pancreas. Spasms or blockage of this valve can cause bile and pancreatic juice to back up.
If a small amount of bile enters the pancreatic duct, serious problems can result. The bile can activate digestive enzymes within the pancreas, and these enzymes begin to digest your own pancreatic cells, causing pain, congestion, inflammation, and even death of pancreatic tissue. This is known as pancreatitis.
Obstructions of the sphincter of Oddi by tumors, large gallbladder stones, or scarring after inflammation certainly need surgery. The number of people with these problems is relatively small, but millions of Americans experience occasional transient spasms of the sphincter of Oddi with pain, nausea, and bloating. In most situations, their tests are normal, and these people are labeled with acid reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), viral gastroenteritis, food poisoning, or other illnesses.
Many of these people have type III sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD). According to statistical information, the prevalence of Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction in the general population is 1.5%. It may mean that 4.5 million people in the US have SOD.
Lack of proper treatment of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction can cause serious complications such as pancreatitis and inflammation of the gallbladder.
Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction can affect children, women over 40, people who are overweight, and people after abdominal surgeries. For example, statistics show that almost 20% of people with pain after gallbladder removal have sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.
Why does the sphincter of Oddi become spasmodic? The answer depends on many reasons if we take into account the very complicated regulation of this sphincter by the nervous system and special blood messengers: digestive hormones. Here are some examples of what can cause the sphincter of Oddi to spasm:
• Stress, depression and anxiety
• Bad eating habits such as “eating on the go”, eating while watching television, irregular diets, diets, fasting and incorrect food combinations such as mixing fatty foods with starches and sugars
• Drugs, some medications, alcohol and nicotine
• Hard, intensive and repetitive “liver cleanse”
• Hormonal imbalance, such as decreased thyroid function or menopause
• “Aggressive” acidic bile with sand, mud, gallbladder stones and more
Normally we can see combinations of these factors in predisposed people with problems of overweight, sedentary lifestyle and stress for long periods of time.
The standard American diet, which is full of processed and acidic foods (meat, sugars, alcohol, animal fats, white flour, etc.) causes heartburn throughout the body. The standard American diet leads to acidic conditions in the bile and pancreatic juice as well. The bile becomes acidic, and the amount of bile acids in the bile also increases. Bile acids are very aggressive substances; irritate the wall of the Sphincter of Oddi causing muscle contractions – spasms.
3-4 liters of mixed pancreatic juice and bile travel daily through the sphincter of Oddi. The acidification of these fluids makes them very “aggressive”, corrosive and irritating to the surrounding tissues, particularly the sphincter of Oddi. Considering that bile is a vehicle for removing toxic chemicals such as bile pigments, heavy metals, drugs, medicines, and poisons from the body, and that the bile ducts and gallbladder often harbor parasites, there is no doubt that the Sphincter Oddi’s is an easy target for irritation. Furthermore, alcohol, unhealthy foods, irregular eating, and inappropriate food combinations also wreak havoc on the normal functioning of the sphincter of Oddi.
The most common and prominent symptom of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction is upper abdominal pain. This is often experienced as a sharp pain in the middle of the abdomen, just below the ribcage. The pain can be severe in nature, taking people to the hospital and requiring painkillers. But in many cases, the bread can be soft and usually doesn’t need pain relievers. The symptoms of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction are divided into biliary pain and pancreatic pain.
Symptoms of biliary abdominal pain from sphincter of Oddi dysfunction include:
• Biliary pain felt in the middle or right part of the upper abdomen
• Pain radiating to the back at the lower tip of the scapula or right shoulder
• Pain often accompanied by bloating, nausea and vomiting
• Pain precipitated by fatty foods or alcohol intake
• Pain that varies in intensity and lasts between 15 minutes and 4-5 hours.
Symptoms of pancreatic abdominal pain from sphincter of Oddi dysfunction include:
• Pain located in the upper abdomen on the left or right side
• Pain that radiates directly through the abdomen to the back.
• Pain often accompanied by bloating, nausea and vomiting
• Pain precipitated by incorrect protein/fat/starch/sugar food combinations or alcohol consumption
Holistic non-pharmacological approaches can be helpful. Holistic remedies for healing Sphincter Oddi Type III Dysfunction are widely used in many countries around the world.
The type III Sphincter Oddi Dysfunction healing program may include some actions:
• Personalized healing diet
• Drink healing mineral water prepared with genuine spring salt from Karlovy Vary
• European Cleansing of the Whole Body through the Restoration of Friendly Intestinal Flora and Colon Hydrotherapy
• Anti-Candida Program
• Acupuncture
• Herbal medicine
• Nutritional Supplementation
• Chiropractic manipulations
• Visceral massage
• Relaxation, meditation, hypnosis, personalized hypnosis CDs
Holistic and alternative medicine healing courses can be used separately or as complementary approaches to traditional medicine.
The information in this article is presented for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified medical professional.
