Pancreatitis - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

The pancreas is a long, flat gland tucked behind your stomach between the upper part of your small intestine (duodenum) and your spleen. The pancreas is a long, flat gland tucked behind your stomach between the upper part of your small intestine (duodenum) and your spleen. Pancreatic damage occurs when the digestive enzymes are activated before they are secreted into the duodenum and begin attacking the pancreas. Pancreatitis can be acute - appearing suddenly and lasting for a few days - or it can be chronic, developing gradually and persisting over many years. The pain steadily increases intensity, reaches a peak in a few minutes or hours, remains severe and steady, then diminishes gradually over days or weeksas the inflammation subsides. Movement, and sometimes breathing, aggravate the pain. Sitting up or bending at the waist often relieves the pain. Fever of 100 to 102 F develops during the first few days, and nausea and vomiting are common.

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas . Your pancreas is a large gland behind your stomach and close to your duodenum. The pancreas secretes powerful digestive enzymes that enter the small intestine through a duct. Pancreatitis simply means inflammation of the pancreas. Located in the upper part of the abdomen, behind the stomach, the pancreas plays an important role in digestion. It secretes insulin, which is of fundamental importance in the handling of glucose. It has two main functions: the production of metabolic hormones (insulin and glucagon which regulate blood sugar) and the production of digestive enzymes, which are secreted through a special duct into the intestine to digest our food. Acute pancreatitis can sometimes resemble other acute problems, including poptic ulcer, perforation, appendicitis, gallbladder inflammation, and even heart attack.

In acute pancreatitis, enzymes of the pancreas that ordinarily go into the duodenum to aid in digestion may be released into the pancreas itself and may digest some of the pancreatic tissue and blood vessels. Therefore, in treatment, no food is given by mouth, only by vein, and the stomach is kept empty by suction with a tube introduced through the nose. Both measures-by keeping food and acid out of the duodenum-help to inhibit pancreatic secretion. A drug such as atropine may be used to help further reduce pancreatic secretion. Pain may be relieved by meperidine. And antibiotics may be prescribed to counter the inflammation.

Causes of Pancreatitis

The most comman causes of Pancreatitis include the following :

• gallstones that block the pancreatic duct
• alcohol abuse, which can lead to blockage of the small pancreatic ductules
• infections such as mumps, hepatitis A or B, or salmonella
• cystic fibrosis
• Medications, including azathioprine, corticosteroids, sulfonamides, thiazides, furosemides, NSAIDs, mercaptopurine, methyldopa, and tetracyclines
• Abdominal or cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, which may insult the gland by ischemia
• Trauma to the abdomen or back, resulting in sudden compression of the gland against the spine posteriorly

Symptoms of Pancreatitis

Some sign and symptoms related to Pancreatitis are as follows :

• abdominal pain that may radiate to the back or chest
• The pain may come on suddenly or build gradually. If the pain begins suddenly, it is typically very severe. If the pain builds gradually, it starts out mild but may become severe.
• vomiting
• dropping blood pressure
• mild jaundice - yellowing of the skin and eyes.
• Upper abdominal pain that radiates (travels) to their back. Patients may describe this as a "boring sensation" that may be aggravated by eating, especially foods high in fat.
• Swollen, tender abdomen
• In severe cases, dehydration and low blood pressure, internal bleeding, and shock

Treatment of Pancreatitis

Some treatment methods for pancreatitis are as follows :

• Adopt a liquid diet consisting of foods such as broth, gelatin, and soups. These simple foods may allow the inflammation process to get better.
• your age, overall health, and medical history
• extent of the disease
• your tolerance of specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
• bed rest or light activity only
• placement of a nasogastric tube (tube inserted into the nose that ends in the stomach)
• Begin parenteral nutrition if the prognosis is poor and if the patient is going to be kept in the hospital for more than 4 days.