ADDISON'S DISEASE

Pancreaitis

How is the disease caused

Prevention

Treatment

Limiting yourself to one or two alcoholic drinks per day may significantly lessen the chances of developing alcoholic pancreatitis. Once you have had pancreatitis, though, you should not drink at all; any drinking carries the risk of new attacks.

Controlling your weight and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle may prevent gallstones and help reduce the risk of gallstone pancreatitis.

Diagnosis

Treatment for pancreatitis usually requires hospitalization. Once your condition is stabilized in the hospital and inflammation in the pancreas is controlled, doctors can treat the underlying cause of your pancreatitis

Alcoholism

Gallstones

Abdominal surgery

Certain medications

Cigarette smoking

Cystic fibrosis

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), when used to treat gallstones

Family history of pancreatitis

Infection

Injury to the abdomen

Pancreatic cancer

Reference

Pancreatitis. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/pancreatitis. Accessed July 17, 2013.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Merck.

Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed July 17, 2013.

Fasting

Pain Meds

Intravenous Fluids

Signs and Symptoms

Acute and chronic pancreatitis are diagnosed through a patient interview, medical exam, and several tests including blood, stool, computerized tomography (CT scan), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

How many people does this disease affect?

History

About 4 in 100 people across the world at any one time have chronic pancreatitis. It is not known exactly how many people in the US have this condition but it is thought to have increased considerably over the years. It is more common in men than in women. The average age that it occurs is 51.

other types of the disease

Acute pancreatitis signs and symptoms include:

Upper abdominal pain

Abdominal pain that radiates to your back

Abdominal pain that feels worse after eating

Nausea

Vomiting

Tenderness when touching the abdomen

Pancreatitis is inflammation in the pancreas. The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. The pancreas produces enzymes that assist digestion and hormones that help regulate the way your body processes sugar. Pancreatitis can occur as acute pancreatitis — meaning it appears suddenly and lasts for days. Or pancreatitis can occur as chronic pancreatitis, which describes pancreatitis that occurs over many years.

Mild cases of pancreatitis may go away without treatment, but severe cases can cause life-threatening complications.

Chronic pancreatitis signs and symptoms include:

Upper abdominal pain

Losing weight without trying

Oily, smelly stools (steatorrhea)

Acute Pancreatitis

Chronic Pancreatitis

Does it affect a certain age group?

It usually affects individuals who re above the age of 45 years of age and usually affects males more than women.

Eric Hamm

11/12/14

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Pancreatitis

How does the disease affect the body?

With repeated bouts of acute pancreatitis, damage to the pancreas can occur and lead to chronic pancreatitis. Scar tissue may form in the pancreas, causing loss of function. A poorly functioning pancreas can cause digestion problems and diabetes

What Is Affected ?

Pancreatitis occurs when digestive enzymes produced in your pancreas become activated while inside the pancreas, causing damage to the organ.

During normal digestion, the inactivated pancreatic enzymes move through ducts in your pancreas and travel to the small intestine, where the enzymes become activated and help with digestion. In pancreatitis, the enzymes become activated while still in the pancreas. This causes the enzymes to irritate the cells of your pancreas, causing inflammation and the signs and symptoms associated with pancreatitis.