Do you regularly consume alcohol or you have gall
bladder issues? In either of the cases, you are more prone to develop
pancreatitis. So, if you experience any pain, rashes in the skin of the abdomen
or any other abnormalities, better consult a doctor at the earliest.
Pancreatitis is a serious issue and if left untreated may result in greater
damage.
What Is Pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis may be of two types- acute, which is a
new and short term and chronic, where it is a long term affair. However, both
type is equally dangerous and can even be life-threatening. Pancreatitis is the
swelling of the pancreas, and over the period, the damage can progress further
and affect the blood vessels and damaging the gland, thereby causing infection
and bleeding. Once the pancreas swells, the digestive juices get trapped and
start to digest the pancreas itself. In such situation, the gland will not be
able to carry the normal functions.
The Underlying Cause
While in 80%-90% of the cases it happens due to
alcohol abuse, 35%- 45% of cases, pancreatitis can occur due to some problem
associated with gallstones. However, in 10%-20% of cases, pancreatitis develop
as a result of chemical exposure, medications, trauma, surgical procedure, high-fat
levels in blood, heredity and even genetic abnormalities with intestine and
pancreas.
Symptoms- Acute Vs Chronic
While in the case of acute pancreatitis, the
predominant symptom is abdominal pain, it is not always so in the case of
chronic pancreatitis. The symptoms for both the types are mentioned below.
Acute Pancreatitis
• Abdominal
pain
• Fever
•
Dehydration
• Nausea
• Rapid
heartbeat.
• Skin
discoloration
Chronic Pancreatitis
• Jaundice
• Bleeding
•
Nutritional deficiency
• Weight
loss
•
Restricted insulin production is resulting in diabetes.
However, there is another type of acute pancreatitis
known as necrotizing pancreatitis, which causes necrosis in and around the
pancreas.
Management
In both the cases, the diagnosis procedure is same
which involves serum lipase test, MRCP, Ultrasonography and Computed Tomography
depending on the patient’s condition. In the majority of the cases, acute
pancreatitis is treated in the hospitals depending on the cause. There, the doctors
work on relieving the symptoms and help the pancreas to recover from the
inflammation. Depending on the cause of the inflammation and if there is any
form of infection at the same time, antibiotics is administered accordingly.
In some cases, even surgical procedures are enacted
if the cause is associated with the gall bladder. Any abnormality or gall
stones, if there, are removed from the patient is relieved of the initial
symptoms.
The patient is given a low-fat diet which shouldn’t
exceed 20g/day. While in the case of acute pancreatitis, sufficient fluid
intake is a necessary thing; in the case of chronic, the patient may be kept
for 24-48 hours with no food and only clear liquids.
Acute Pancreatitis can be easily cured if detected
early. Consult any gastroenterologist in Bangalore, who will surely provide the right advice and treatment to cure all the symptoms associated with it as well as the severity of this condition.
