Mask of Hippocrates - what is this symptom?

Its name was given on behalf of the well-known scientist and doctor Hippocrates. A mask can manifest only when a person is very sick, and serious processes in the body are not for the better.

What is a symptom?

The mask of Hippocrates is a set of definite changes on the person's face, which for a long time is ill with some serious disease. This concept will be more correctly attributed to the symptoms, because it is by the changes of the face that very often the doctor can determine the presence of the disease, carry out the necessary diagnostics and prescribe the timely treatment. Such traits can be manifested in a person who has diseases in the organs of the abdominal cavity, suffers from exhaustion of the body or a long sleeplessness, and they can be harbingers of an imminent death.

Causes of the mask

The mask of Hippocrates was first described in the fifth century in the works of the scientist, where he examined in more detail the subject of a change in the face, which may indicate an incorrect distribution of blood and lymph in the body. He also said that this all can indicate intoxication, because it is during this period that the inflammatory process begins to develop.

The mask can manifest itself in many cases, but the following are listed below:

1. If a person has peritonitis, as a rule, the inflammatory process develops in the peritoneum, it affects the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, can touch the kidneys. Most often, the cause is hidden in the perforation of the digestive tract. For example, it can serve as rupture of appendicitis, opening of a stomach ulcer or intestine.
2. When an ulcer opens up in the intestine or in the stomach, but only if an opening appears, after which the outlet of the contents of the organ into the abdominal cavity begins to flow unhindered.
3. With intestinal obstruction, when the progress of food is prevented, the cause may be a mechanical effect on the intestine.
4. When the body is too exhausted, for example, for a long time the patient had to do without food for various reasons. In medicine, this condition is commonly called cachexia.
5. The mask of Hippocrates can manifest itself when a person for a long time suffers from insomnia. Chronic lack of sleep very quickly passes into a complex stage of the disease, with loss of appetite, irritability appears. It is difficult to recognize this condition, since it occurs on a psychological level.

If all the diseases listed above are absent, then the manifestation of a mask on the face may indicate that soon a person will die, as Hippocrates gave one more definition - as a symptom indicative of an imminent death.

The main characteristics of the mask of Hippocrates

The mask of Hippocrates has its own characteristics, so before you determine it on the person's face, it is worth paying attention to some of its characteristics:

1. First of all, the facial expression changes : it becomes inexpressive, in some cases even immobile, the eyes can look at one point for a long time.
2. Cheeks and eyes become sunken, cheekbones begin to clearly appear.
3. When a patient simply loses weight as a result of the disease, his eyes remain shiny, with Hippocrates mask it does not exist, eyes become dull.
4. It is worth paying attention to the cornea: it becomes turbid, the veil goes down on the eyes.
5. The lips turn white, and the corners of the mouth fall down, facial expression loses its appeal, while the lips of a person can be too cold and parched, ulcers are formed due to the fact that the skin bursts.
6. The mask of Hippocrates is a symptom, in which the complexion always changes: it becomes greenish, in some cases even lead, the color disappears forever.
7. The patient may hang down the lower jaw, and the nose becomes pointed.
8. If you touch the patient's ears, you can feel how cold they are, and the lobes will look protruding.
9. The skin on the face seems to be stretched, but it is too dry to touch, there is peeling.
10. On the forehead may act small droplets of sweat, but the skin will not be moistened.

How the mask looks before death

If the mask of Hippocrates manifested itself before death, then all of the above characteristics of this symptom may be supplemented with signs of agony. The patient's condition begins to take a slightly different character, all his vital functions are gradually fading. It is not difficult to distinguish this, because a person can tremble all over the body, a problem with breathing, it can become hoarse, the pulse slows down, the body temperature decreases, and sometimes it can grow up to 40 degrees, feelings start to disappear. This condition can last from 2 minutes to 2 days.

How does a person change during a disease?

If you pay attention to the signs of the disease in time, then the disease can be tried to cure. As a rule, an experienced doctor will immediately look at the patient who came to see him and start diagnosing health problems. When a person has a sullen face and a dull expression, eyes fall deep and they do not shine, and cheeks fall, and the skin becomes gray, it is quite logical to suspect problems in internal organs.

In cases where the mask of Hippocrates is manifested, the person begins to change immediately and lose weight. The doctor, after carrying out the examination of the patient, will necessarily pay attention to the permanent changes in traits for some time: if the symptoms that appeared on the first day will only worsen, then in this case it is necessary to take urgent measures to eliminate the disease that causes the mask.

Diagnosis of the disease

The mask of Hippocrates may not appear immediately after the first manifestations of the disease. But as soon as a person begins to feel health problems, one should immediately seek help from a specialist, because in this way the patient has more chances to save his life.

Diagnosis will help to avoid complications, especially if the mask of Hippocrates has already appeared. The description of all the symptoms and the observation of the doctor are related to surface research, so an additional diagnostic can be prescribed:

1. Doctor's medical history and physical examination.
2. It is mandatory to hand over laboratory blood tests, as this method can tell a lot about the inflammatory process in the organs of the abdominal cavity.
3. As a rule, the doctor prescribes fluoroscopy and ultrasound of the abdominal organs.
4. To obtain a complete picture of the disease, the patient will still need to undergo endoscopy and peritoneal laparoscopy.

Once all the results are obtained, the doctor will be able to begin treatment and prescribe immediate surgical intervention.

Elimination of the symptom of Hippocrates

Do not think that the mask can only appear before death, in fact it is not. It can occur with manifestations of various diseases, and in many cases a person can go on the amendment if the time is taken to correct the underlying disease. Asking what the Hippocratic mask is, what it really is, you can safely say that it is a symptom that requires special attention and study, because the patient's life depends on it in many cases. If it occurs after a disease in the abdominal cavity has been identified, then, as a rule, an urgent operation may be required.

If the symptom is due to insomnia, which led to the exhaustion of the body, you should immediately contact a psychotherapist who will carry out a psychocorrection and be able to prescribe suitable medications.

Cachexia is also treated, it requires the help of a specialist, he selects a special diet, prescribes drugs that can restore metabolism in the body, and also require careful care.

How does the symptom look on the photo?

When the disease develops, the mask of Hippocrates may start to appear (you see the photo in the article). It can be clearly seen that completely the human body can not be depleted, but all the signs of the disease may well be on the face. Do not panic immediately, because the predictions can be quite favorable if you pay attention to the main symptoms in time and seek help. The doctor will help to identify the disease and will provide timely assistance. The mask appears only if the pathologies are serious. But with timely assistance, the patient can survive.

How to prevent the appearance of a mask Hippocrates?

To the Hippocratic mask does not appear, you should follow a few simple rules. First of all it is important to remember that this symptom appears when the disease passes into the terminal stage. If a person consults a specialist at the first symptoms of the disease, the disease will be recognized at the initial stage, which means that there will be a chance to avoid long-term treatment that may require surgical intervention.