Knowledge about Pancreatitis – Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment

Pancreatitis is inflammation in the pancreas. The pancreas is a long, flat gland that locates behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. The pancreas makes enzymes that help digestion and hormones that help to regularize the way the body processes sugar (glucose). Pancreatitis can arise as acute pancreatitis, meaning it comes suddenly and continues for days. Or pancreatitis can appear as chronic pancreatitis, which is pancreatitis that happens over many years. Nominal cases of pancreatitis may go away without treatment, but serious cases can make life-threatening problems.

Symptoms of Pancreatitis

Signs and symptoms of pancreatitis may differ based on which type you feel.

Acute pancreatitis symptoms contain:

1) Upper abdominal pain
2) Abdominal pain that moves to the back
3) Abdominal pain that feels worse after eating
4) Fever
5) Rise pulse
6) Nausea
7) Vomiting
8) Tenderness when touching the abdomen

Chronic pancreatitis symptoms consist:

1) Upper abdominal pain
2) Losing weight without trying
3) Oily, smelly stools

Pancreatitis Caused by

Pancreatitis causes when digestive enzymes become stimulated while still in the pancreas, irritating the cells of the pancreas and making inflammation. With repeated bouts of acute pancreatitis, injury to the pancreas can happen and generate chronic pancreatitis. Scar tissue may form in the pancreas, creating a loss of function. A poorly functioning pancreas can lead to digestive complications and diabetes.

Situations that can be caused by pancreatitis consist:

1) Abdominal surgery
2) Alcoholism
3) Certain medicines
4) Cystic fibrosis
5) Gallstones
6) High calcium levels in the blood
7) High triglyceride levels in the blood
8) Infection
9) Injury to the abdomen
10) Obesity
11) Pancreatic cancer
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), a procedure used to treat gallstones, also can be caused by pancreatitis. Often, a cause behind pancreatitis is never found.

Pancreatitis Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnosis of pancreatitis include:

1) Blood tests to look after elevated levels of pancreatic enzymes
2) Stool tests in chronic pancreatitis to the diagnosis of Pancreatitis levels of fat that could recommend the digestive system is not consuming nutrients sufficiently
3) Computerized tomography (CT) scan to look after gallstones and determines the extent of pancreas inflammation
4) Abdominal ultrasound to observe gallstones and pancreas inflammation
5) Endoscopic ultrasound to notice inflammation and blockages in the pancreatic duct or bile duct
6) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look after abnormalities in the gallbladder, pancreas, and ducts
The doctor may suggest other tests, based on the specific condition for the diagnosis of Pancreatitis

Treatment of Pancreatitis

Primary treatments of Pancreatitis in the hospital may contain:

1) Fasting: You will stop consuming for a couple of days in the hospital to give the pancreas a chance to return. Once the inflammation in the pancreas is controlled, you may start drinking clean liquids and consuming bland foods. With time, you can return to the regular diet. If treatment of pancreatitis persists and you still feel pain while eating, the doctor may suggest a feeding tube to assist you in getting nutrition.
2) Pain medicines: Pancreatitis can make acute pain. The health care team will provide you with drugs to help control the pain.
3) Intravenous fluids: As the body dedicates energy and fluids to recovering the pancreas, you may become dehydrated. For this reason, you will get extra fluids through a vein in the arm during your hospitalization.

Pancreatitis Complications

Pancreatitis can make serious complications, including:

1) Pseudocyst: Acute pancreatitis can make fluid and debris to collect in cystlike pockets in the pancreas. A large pseudocyst that ruptures can create complications of Pancreatitis like internal bleeding and infection.
2) Infection: Acute pancreatitis can cause pancreas vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. Pancreatitis complications are severe and need intensive treatment, like surgery, to omit the affected tissue.
3) Kidney failure: Acute pancreatitis may create kidney failure, which can be treated with dialysis if kidney failure is serious and persistent.
4) Breathing problems: Acute pancreatitis can make chemical changes in the body that affect the lung function, making the level of oxygen in the blood down to dangerously low levels. This is a severe complication of Pancreatitis
5) Diabetes Disease: Injure to insulin-generating cells in the pancreas from chronic pancreatitis can position to diabetes, a disease that infects the way the body uses blood sugar.
6) Malnutrition: Both acute and chronic pancreatitis can create the pancreas to originate fewer of the enzymes that are required to break down and process nutrients from the food you intake. This can generate malnutrition, diarrhea, and weight loss, even though you may be consuming the same foods or the same amount of food.
7) Pancreatic cancer: Long-duration inflammation in the pancreas caused by chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor for promoting pancreatic cancer. It is a severe complication of Pancreatitis.


Updated: December 13, 2019 — 2:32 pm

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