Everything about Pancreatitis

All you know is pancreatitis, it is nothing but pancreas inflammation. The pancreas looks like a long, flat gland which is stuck behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. This pancreas gland helps to produce enzymes which helps in digestion and it also produce hormones which helps to regulate the way of your body process the sugar(glucose) in the body.

Pancreatitis will occur as Pancreatitis which means it appears suddenly and it lasts for some days. Some people will develop chronic pancreatitis which occurs over many years.

Mild cases of pancreatitis will improve with the help of treatment, but severe cases of pancreatitis can cause life-threatening complications.

Types of Pancreatitis

The pancreatitis can occur in two forms: acute and chronic.

Acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation in the pancreas which lasts a short time. This can occur in mild discomfort to a severe form of acute pancreatitis. Most of the people with acute pancreatitis will recover quickly after getting the right treatment.  In severe cases, this can cause severe bleeding, tissue damage, infection and few cysts. Severe acute pancreatitis can also affect other vital organs like heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis can occur over the years which is long-lasting inflammation. It mostly occurs after an episode of acute pancreatitis. Another top reason for this inflammation is drinking lots of alcohol for a long period of time. Heavy alcohol use will damage your pancreas which may not cause symptoms for many years but then after a few years you may suddenly have severe pancreatitis symptoms.

Symptoms of Pancreatitis

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis

  • Sudden Fever
  • Sometimes Higher heart rate
  • Feeling Nausea and vomiting
  • Big Swollen and tender belly
  • Feeling pain in the upper part of your belly that gradually goes to your back. Avoid high fat foods because it make worse the symptoms

Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis

Symptoms for both chronic pancreatitis and acute pancreatitis is very similar but they may also have other symptoms which includes:

  • Pain in your upper belly which gradually goes to the back that also leads to disabling.
  • Some people have Diarrhoea and weight loss because this pancreas does not produce enough enzymes to digest the food.
  • It upset your stomach and frequent vomiting

Pancreatitis Causes and Risk Factors

Acute pancreatitis causes include:

  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Drinking lots of alcohol
  • Infections
  • Gallstones
  • Medications
  • Metabolic disorders
  • Surgery
  • Trauma

With acute pancreatitis people up to 15%, the cause is unknown.

In up to 15% of people with acute pancreatitis, the cause is unknown.

Chronic pancreatitis causes include:

  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Family history of pancreas disorders
  • Gallstones
  • High triglycerides
  • Long time alcohol use
  • Medications

The cause of chronic pancreatitis is unknown for about 20% to 30% of cases. Usually people with ages of 30 to 40, particularly for men, will be affected by it.

Pancreatitis Complications

Pancreatitis can have severe complications, including:

  • Diabetes people if there’s any damage to the cells which produces insulin
  • Mild infection of your pancreas
  • Severe Kidney failure
  • Because of a lack of digestive enzymes,your body can’t get enough nutrients from the food you eat.
  • More of people with Pancreatic cancer
  • Pancreatic necrosis, when your tissues in the body dies because your pancreas isn’t getting enough blood to live your cells in your body
  • When chemical changes in your body while breathing, it affects your lungs.
  • In pancreas, some fluids collect in pockets which are Pseudocysts. That fluid pockets can burst and it becomes infected.

Diagnosis of Pancreatitis

If your doctor checks for pancreatitis, the doctor will probably give pressure on your belly area to see whether your belly is tender or not and also check for low blood pressure, mild fever and rapid pulse fluctuation.

For chronic pancreatitis, doctors will diagnose them with some imaging tests like CT scan or MRI which may show whether the pancreas is calcified. Your doctor will also take blood samples and check your excess fat, a sign that the pancreas no longer produces enzymes to process fat. They also suggest a pancreatic function test to check whether your pancreas releases digestive enzymes. They may also check you for diabetes.

For acute pancreatitis, the doctor will suggest a test to test your blood to measure two digestive enzymes, they are amylase and lipase. If you have high levels of these two enzymes which means that you probably have acute pancreatitis. They will also suggest some more tests to test your blood for white blood cells, blood sugar, calcium, and liver function.

Treatment

Treatment for acute pancreatitis

If you are with acute pancreatitis, you may get strong medicines for pain. You have to drain your stomach with a tube placed through your nose. If the attack continues for a long time, you may be fed and hydrated through a vein.

In that case, you will probably need to stay in hospital, some treatments may include:

  • Give antibiotics if your pancreas is more infected
  • Give intravenous (IV) fluids through a needle
  • Advised to take a low-fat diet or fasting. You may also need to stop eating so that your pancreas can recover. For this case, get nutrition through a feeding tube.
  • Some pain medicines

Treatment for chronic pancreatitis

People with chronic pancreatitis, doctors will focus mainly on treating pain which guards against addiction to prescription painkillers and they watch for complications that will affect digestion. You may get treatments like pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy which helps to restore the digestive tract's ability to digest foods, this will also likely to reduce the frequent new attacks.

You might need:

  • Take insulin medicines to treat diabetes
  • Pain medicines
  • Pancreatic enzymes which helps your body to get enough nutrients from what you eat
  • Treating blockages, surgery or some procedures to relieve from pain, and also help with drainage

If you take anaesthetic injection into the nerves near the spine which helps to relieve pain. If the medication doesn't treat your pain or nerve blocks, the damaged pancreatic tissue can be removed by surrey but it is only as last option.

Preventing Pancreatitis

Many cases of pancreatitis are caused by consumption of alcohol. It can be prevented by focusing on how much you drink alcohol or not drinking at all. If you are not able to quit alcohol, talk to your doctor or professional therapist about an alcohol treatment centre like a rehabilitation centre. Alcoholics Anonymous group will give more support for alcohol addiction.

You should stop smoking, follow your doctor's instructions and dietitian’s advice about your diet plan and you must take your medications so that you will have fewer and mild attacks of pancreatitis.

Location: India

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