Pancreatitis: Symptoms, Causes and Other Details

Situated deep in the abdomen, the pancreas is a long and flattened gland that plays a very important role in the digestive system. This is because it is composed of exocrine cells and islets of Langerhans that help in producing vital hormones such as insulin, glucagon and the like. Besides this, its main duct is connected to the common bile duct (stores the bile from the gall bladder) and the joint function is to help in digesting fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in the system of a human being. As this organ is entrusted with several responsibilities, ensuring that it is properly operating is highly recommended. Pancreatitis is a condition wherein the pancreas become inflamed, causing a lot of discomfort to the patient. For those who face any issues related to their pancreas, consulting only the best pancreas specialist in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and other metropolitan cities is suggested.

Symptoms

As there are two types of pancreatitis, acute that is sudden and involves short inflammation, and chronic wherein the swelling lasts for a long period of time, symptoms tend to vary accordingly. Generally speaking, patients suffering from acute pancreatitis might experience fever, high heart rate, vomiting, inflamed belly, nausea, and upper abdominal pain. For those who have chronic pancreatitis, the most common symptoms are constant pain in the upper part of the abdomen, unexpected weight loss, diarrhoea, and vomiting. In some cases, patients might also develop steatorrhea or presence of fat in the stools.

Causes

It has been observed that patients who suffer from acute pancreatitis are involved in alcohol abuse. Besides this, gallstones, trauma, certain autoimmune diseases, and even infections are known to be responsible for a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. Metabolic disorders have also caused acute pancreatitis in several patients, especially older individuals, across the world. Chronic pancreatitis is generally caused due to a patient’s family history that has pancreas-related disorders. Along with this, cystic fibrosis, high triglycerides (cholesterol), alcohol abuse for years, and certain medications can also cause long-lasting inflammation in the pancreas.

As the pancreas plays a key role in digesting food, it is important to get immediate treatment for any disorders that might cause a disruption in its proper functioning.

Pancreatitis: Causes and Preventive Measures

The pancreas is a vital organ that creates several enzymes required to digest food and build insulin which is an important hormone to keep blood sugar levels balanced. Pancreatitis happens when the pancreas gets inflamed and the digestive enzymes start digesting the pancreas itself. It may affect the digestion process of a person and prevent food from getting correctly absorbed, leading to several issues such as fever, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Pancreatitis can also develop severe nutritional deficiencies and weight loss.

With time, inflammation of the pancreas may get worse and it is called chronic pancreatitis. In such cases, pancreatitis can harm the pancreas and lead to other issues like endocrine pancreatic insufficiency or EPI which grows when the pancreas becomes unable to create the digestive enzymes for food digestion.

Causes of Pancreatitis

There are two common causes behind pancreas inflammation that include chronic alcohol consumption and gallstones.

Gallstones, built up of hard and tough bile, can cause acute pancreatitis in case they leave the gallbladder and go by the regular bile duct, a tube that joins the gallbladder, pancreas, and the liver to the small intestine.The problem of acute pancreatitis may grow within a few hours or in 2-3 days after heavy drinking. Some other causes may include the following.

• Genetic abnormalities of the pancreas
• High-fat levels in the blood
• Hormonal abnormalities
• Viral infection
• High calcium levels in the blood
• Regular use of certain medications like steroids and estrogen
• An abdominal wound that damages the pancreas

Tips to avoid pancreatitis

Here are some preventive measures that one can take to protect their pancreas and decrease the chances of pancreatitis and other severe health problems like EPI.

• Limit alcohol consumption
• Do not smoke
• Skip crash diets
• Lose extra weight
• Exercise regularly
• Have a low-fat diet

So, these are some causes and prevention tips that people must follow to keep their pancreas in good condition. Pancreatitis can be a severe health condition and, if left uncured, it may turn into EPI. Those who have risk factors for such condition or have symptoms must contact the best pancreas specialist in Delhi and make proper lifestyle changes to keep their pancreas healthy.