- Symptoms of acute pancreatitis
- Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis
- How the treatment is done
- Possible causes of pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a severe inflammation of the pancreas, the main organ responsible for the digestion of nutrients in the intestine, and its symptoms usually include severe abdominal pain, nausea and yellowish stools, with signs of fat.
Its treatment is done mainly through the use of medications, but in more severe cases it will also be necessary to have surgery.
Symptoms of acute pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis occurs suddenly and is usually cured within a few days by following the appropriate treatment, but in the most severe cases of the disease, it can lead to death. Its symptoms are:
- Pain in the upper abdomen, which worsens over time and after meals; Nausea and vomiting; Swelling and tenderness in the belly; Fever; Increased heart rate.
In the presence of these symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately, as the disease can quickly worsen and cause bleeding or serious problems in the kidneys, lungs and heart, increasing the risk of death.
See more about acute pancreatitis and how treatment should be done.
Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis
Chronic pancreatitis is one that does not heal and worsens over time, causing lesions in the pancreas that hinder its proper functioning, leading to the appearance of the following symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting; Unintentional weight loss; Diarrhea; Yellowish stools with signs of fat.
These symptoms are caused by poor digestion of food, which cannot be absorbed by the intestine, which can lead to malnutrition in the patient.
Check out more about chronic pancreatitis.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of pancreatitis is done in the hospital, using pain medications and antibiotics. In the acute form of the disease, the patient must not eat until the crisis passes, so as not to force the pancreas and let the organ deflate.
In the case of chronic pancreatitis, tube feeding may be necessary for a few weeks, and the doctor may recommend the use of drugs with digestive enzymes, which help digest food and allow it to be absorbed through the intestine. See more details on the treatment of pancreatitis.
Find out what the pancreatitis diet should look like and watch the following video that offers tips on supplements and foods that may be important to take to help treat this problem:
Possible causes of pancreatitis
Pancreatitis arises when digestive enzymes, which are inside the pancreas, become active before reaching the intestine, irritating the walls of the organ and leading to the onset of inflammation.
Although it can happen in healthy people, pancreatitis is more common in some cases such as:
- Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages; Stones in the gallbladder; Cystic fibrosis; High levels of calcium in the blood; Cancer in the pancreas.
In addition, people with a family history of pancreatitis are also more likely to have the problem at some point in their lives.
Other rarer diseases, especially those that directly affect the pancreas, such as pancreas divisum, can also be a possible cause of pancreatitis.
