Doctors
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About the condition
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. Pancreatitis has 2 forms: acute and chronic.
Acute pancreatitis last for a short while and usually resolves when the pancreas recovers to its normal state.
Chronic pancreatitis occurs from repeated bouts of acute pancreatitis and the injury to pancreas continues which scars the pancreas. This makes it unable to recover to its normal state.
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Causes of the condition
Pancreatitis occurs when digestive enzymes becomes active in the pancreas and start to “digest” the pancreas. Alcoholism and gallstones are the 2 common causes of pancreatitis.
There are also few others causes:
- Abdominal surgery
- Certain medications
- Smoking
- Cystic fibrosis
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) when used to treat gallstones
- Family history of pancreatitis
- High calcium levels in blood (hypercalcemia)
- High levels of parathyroid hormone in the blood (hyperparathyroidism)
- High triglyceride levels in the bloods (hypertriglyceridemia)
- Infection
- Injury to the abdomen
- Pancreatic cancer
- Ulcer
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Signs & Symptoms
Acute pancreatitis
- Upper abdominal pain
- Abdominal pain that radiates to your back
- Abdominal pain that feel worse after eating
- Abdominal pain that’s somewhat relieved by leaning forward or curling into a ball Nausea
- Vomiting
- Tenderness when touching the abdomen
Chronic pancreatitis
- Upper abdominal pain
- Indigestion
- Unexplained weight loss
- Oily, smelly stools (steatorrhea)
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Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Test and diagnosis
- Blood test
- Stool test
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Endoscopic ultrasound
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment
Hospitalization is usually required for Pancreatitis. The patient is advised to stop eating for a few days to allow the pancreas to recover. Pain medications and intravenous (IV) fluids may be prescribed.
Treatment for various underlying causes include: procedures to remove bile duct obstructions, gallbladder surgery, pancreas surgery and treatment for alcohol dependence.
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