What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?
The main symptom of acute and chronic pancreatitis is
- pain in your upper abdomen that may spread to your back
People with acute or chronic pancreatitis may feel the pain in different ways.
Acute pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis usually starts with pain that
- begins slowly or suddenly in your upper abdomen
- sometimes spreads to your back
- can be mild or severe
- may last for several days
Other symptoms may include
People with acute pancreatitis usually look and feel seriously ill and need to see a doctor right away.
Chronic pancreatitis
Most people with chronic pancreatitis
- feel pain in the upper abdomen, although some people have no pain at all.
The pain may
- spread to your back
- become constant and severe
- become worse after eating
- go away as your condition gets worse
People with chronic pancreatitis may not have symptoms until they have complications.
Other symptoms may include
Seek care right away for pancreatitis
Seek care right away for the following symptoms of severe pancreatitis:
- pain or tenderness in the abdomen that is severe or becomes worse
- nausea and vomiting
- fever or chills
- fast heartbeat
- shortness of breath
- yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes, called jaundice
These symptoms may be a sign of
- serious infection
- inflammation
- blockage of the pancreas, gallbladder, or a bile and pancreatic duct
Left untreated, these problems can be fatal.
What causes pancreatitis?
The most common causes of both acute and chronic pancreatitis are
- gallstones
- heavy alcohol use
- genetic disorders of your pancreas
- some medicines
Other causes include
- infections, such as viruses or parasites
- injury to your abdomen
- pancreatic cancer
- having a procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to treat another condition
- pancreas divisum
Acute pancreatitis
The most common cause of acute pancreatitis is having gallstones.
Gallstones cause inflammation of your pancreas as stones pass through and get stuck in a bile or pancreatic duct. This condition is called gallstone pancreatitis.
Chronic pancreatitis
The most common causes of chronic pancreatitis are
- heavy alcohol use
- genetic disorders of your pancreas
Other causes include
- blockage in your pancreatic duct
- high levels of blood fats, called lipids
- high level of calcium in your blood
In many cases, doctors can’t find the cause of pancreatitis. This is called idiopathic pancreatitis.
Where this page came from
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