Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, which can be acute or chronic. Symptoms include pain, vomiting, weight loss, bloating, and diarrhea. Pain is common to both types. Treatment includes pain relief, intravenous fluids, and surgery to remove damaged tissue. Enzymes and insulin may also be administered.
Pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed. There are two types: acute and chronic. Symptoms of pancreatitis include pain, vomiting, weight loss, bloating and diarrhea. These symptoms can vary depending on the type of pancreatitis the patient has developed. However, pain is common to both types.
The pancreas is an organ in the human body that aids in digestion. It secretes enzymes and digestive juices that help break down the food a person eats. It is also responsible for releasing hormones like insulin and glucagon which regulate the metabolism in the body. Pancreatitis occurs when the enzymes that the pancreas secretes enter and begin to attack the pancreas. Acute pancreatitis occurs when symptoms come on suddenly and resolve soon after treatment, while chronic pancreatitis occurs when the inflammation does not heal or does not improve with treatment.
Perhaps the most common of pancreatitis symptoms is pain. In both chronic and acute forms of pancreatitis, pain can start in the upper abdomen and can then spread to the back. The pain may also increase after eating or drinking. In acute cases, the pain can become severe and constant, and in chronic cases, the pain can be constant and debilitating. In chronic cases, the pain may eventually go away because the pancreas is so damaged that it can no longer produce enzymes.
Other symptoms of acute pancreatitis include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and tenderness and swelling of the abdomen. In chronic cases, pancreatitis symptoms may also include weight loss even when the patient’s appetite is normal. This happens when the pancreas is so damaged that it can’t make as many enzymes as it could. Therefore, the food is not broken down properly and the nutrients and fats are not absorbed by the body. Since fat is not absorbed by the body, this can lead to another symptom of pancreatitis, oily stools, because the fat is passed through the body’s system without being absorbed and is excreted as excrement.
To treat acute pancreatitis, doctors may take you to the hospital and give you intravenous fluids. They may also give the patient pain medication. Some patients will need to stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) for monitoring. These patients need to be monitored because if enzymes created by the pancreas are released into the bloodstream, they could cause damage to other organs. Surgery may also be needed to remove damaged pancreatic tissue.
Chronic pancreatitis is treated by attempting to relieve pain and by treating the nutritional and metabolic problems that a struggling pancreas can create. Patients may also be given enzymes because the pancreas may not produce enough on its own. In some cases, diabetes can develop due to low amount of insulin. Therefore, doctors may also need to administer insulin to patients. Surgery can also be used to relieve pain and increase drainage of pancreatic secretions.
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