How To Manage Acute Pancreatitis?

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.