What is the pancreas and what does it do?
The pancreas is a gland that is situated deep in the abdomen, behind the stomach.
The pancreas has two main functions. Firstly, it produces digestive enzymes that allow the food we eat to be broken down and efficiently absorbed by the small intestines.
Secondly, the pancreas is responsible for producing hormones such as insulin and glucagon, which regulate blood-sugar levels in the body; keeping diabetes at bay. The body produces insulin to lower the body’s blood sugar when it gets too high, and glucagon to raise blood sugar when it gets too low.
What is pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis refers to an inflammation of the pancreas. It can be acute or chronic and is commonly caused by a blockage in the bile duct due to gallstones or heavy alcohol consumption.
Acute pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed over a short period of time, leading to severe abdominal pain. The severity of acute pancreatitis can vary from mild to life threatening.
Chronic pancreatitis
Chronic pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas is repeatedly inflamed over an extended period of time, usually several years. In severe cases, it can result in problems with the normal functioning of the pancreas, leading to issues with digestion, as well as diabetes.
What causes pancreatitis?
Besides blockage in the bile duct due to เว็บพนันออนไลน์ UFABET สมัครง่าย โปรโมชั่นมากมาย gallstones and heavy alcohol consumption, pancreatitis can be caused by these other factors:
- Side effects of medications
- Viral infections
- Cystic fibrosis
- Hypercalcemia (high levels of calcium in blood)
- High triglyceride levels (high levels of a type of fat found in the blood)
- Trauma
- Cancer of the pancreas
- Rarely after surgery or endoscopy of the bile duct or pancreatic duct
What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?
The symptoms of pancreatitis may vary depending on whether the individual is facing acute or chronic pancreatitis.
The symptoms associated with acute pancreatitis include:
- Severe pain in your upper abdomen, often spreading to the back
- Pain in the abdomen after eating
- Nausea and vomiting
- High fever (if an infected collection or bile duct stone develops)
- High pulse rate
Patients with chronic pancreatitis may experience:
- Unintended weight loss
- Fatty stools (floating and foul-smelling)
- Jaundice (yellowish discolouration of the eyes)