Pancreatitis - symptoms and causes

Pancreatitis is inflammation in the pancreas into a long, flat gland that sits tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. The pancreas produces enzymes that help digestion and hormones that help regulate the way your body processes sugar in the body. 

Symptoms 


Symptoms vary based on the type of the disease.

Acute pancreatitis symptoms include:

  • Upper abdominal pain

  • Abdominal pain that radiates to your back

  • Abdominal pain that feels worse after eating

  • Fever

  • Rapid pulse

  • Nausea

  • Vomiting

  • Tenderness when touching the abdomen

Chronic pancreatitis symptoms include:

  • Upper abdominal pain

  • Losing weight without trying

  • Oily, smelly stools (steatorrhea)

Causes 

Pancreatitis occurs when digestive enzymes become activated while still in the pancreas, irritating the cells of the pancreatic glands and causing inflammation.

  • Abdominal surgery

  • Alcoholism

  • Certain medications

  • Cystic fibrosis

  • Gallstones

  • High calcium levels in the blood (hypercalcemia), which may be caused by an overactive parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism)

  • High triglyceride levels in the blood (hypertriglyceridemia)

  • Infection

  • Injury to the abdomen

  • Obesity

  • Pancreatic cancer

Risk factors

Factors that increase risk of pancreatitis include:

  • Excessive alcohol consumption - people who consume excessive alcohol are at higher risk of pancreatitis disease.

  • Cigarette smoking - smokers who are average of three times a day are more prone to get chronic pancreatitis. These people should reduce the smoking or quite the smoking.

  • Obesity - People with obese are more likely to get Pancreatitis.

  • Family history of pancreatitis - The role of genetics is becoming increasingly recognized in chronic pancreatitis. Family members with the condition, your odds increase — especially when combined with other risk factors.

Other Complications:

Diabetes can have serious complications, including:

  • Pseudocyst - Acute pancreatitis can cause fluid and debris to collect in cyst like pockets in pancreas.

  • Infection - Acute pancreatitis can make pancreas vulnerable to bacteria and infection. Pancreatic infections are serious and require intensive treatment, such as surgery to remove the infected tissue in the body.

  • Kidney failure - Acute pancreatitis may cause kidney failure, which can be treated with dialysis.

  • Breathing problems - Acute pancreatitis can cause chemical changes in the body that affect lung function, causing the level of oxygen in blood.

  • Diabetes - Damage to insulin-producing cells in your pancreas from chronic pancreatitis can lead to diabetes.

  • Malnutrition - Both types of pancreatitis can cause pancreas to produce fewer of the enzymes that are needed to break down and process nutrients from the food that a person eat.

  • Pancreatic cancer - Long-standing inflammation in pancreas caused by chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor for developing pancreatic cancer



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