Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is the swelling or inflammation of the pancreas, an organ that produces enzymes necessary to digest food (insulin and glucagon). Pancreatitis may be acute or chronic and is very dangerous.

At MedStar Health, our experienced specialists will use advanced tools to diagnose and treat the cause of your pancreatitis. Treatment will depend on the causes of the pancreatitis.

Symptoms

Acute pancreatitis appears suddenly. The primary symptom of acute pancreatitis is pain in the upper left or middle abdomen. The pain may:

• Become worse within minutes after eating or drinking at first, especially if foods have a high fat content
• Become constant and more severe, lasting for several days
• Be worse when lying flat on the back
• Spread (radiate) to the back or below the left shoulder blade

Other symptoms of acute pancreatitis may include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Clay-colored stools
• Gaseous abdominal fullness
• Hiccups
• Indigestion
• Mild yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

Repeated attacks of acute pancreatitis may lead to chronic pancreatitis, where the pancreas may scar due to repeated bouts of inflammation and be permanently damaged.

Pancreatitis is most often caused by long-term alcohol abuse. Genetics may be a factor in some cases. Other conditions that have been linked to chronic pancreatitis include:

• Autoimmune conditions (when the immune system attacks the body)
• Blockage of the pancreatic duct or the common bile duct, the tubes that drain enzymes from the pancreas
• Complications of cystic fibrosis
• High levels of a fat called triglycerides in the blood (hypertriglyceridemia)
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Use of certain medications (especially estrogens, corticosteroids, thiazide diuretics and azathioprine)

Physicians usually confirm pancreatitis with a physical exam, blood tests and, possibly, imaging studies that show inflammation of the pancreas.

Treatment

Treatment of acute pancreatitis often occurs in a hospital and may require pain medication and IV fluids. Food may be restricted to limit the activity of the pancreas.

In some cases, doctors may need to:

• Drain fluid that has collected in or around the pancreas
• Remove gallstones
• Relieve blockages of the pancreatic duct

In the most severe cases, surgery is needed to remove dead or infected pancreatic tissue.
Pancreatitis may recur. The likelihood of it returning depends on the cause and how successfully it can be treated. Treating the underlying condition that caused the problem may prevent future attacks. In all cases, patients are advised to avoid smoking, alcoholic drinks and fatty foods.

It is a good idea to have a complete workup to learn more about the causes of your pancreatitis.

If symptoms persist call Gastrocure in West Orange, NJ at 973-736-1112 to schedule an appointment