Symptoms of Pancreatitis

What to Look Out For with Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a very dangerous condition which could prove to be fatal if not managed properly. The symptoms which are commonly associated with pancreatitis can be different for each person with the disorder. Basically, the pancreas undergoes a process in which it shuts down for a variety of reasons and will not start back up and running correctly unless the appropriate conditions are put into place. The most important thing is to regulate the body and get it back into the proper shape to prevent further damage and even death of the individual. There are two main types of pancreatitis which can occur.

The first type is called acute pancreatitis and can happen at any time. The pancreas can be placed under a lot of stress and simply give out if not properly cared for. This can happen for a variety of reasons. The first reason is drinking excessively. A high dose of alcohol can cause the pancreas to crash and be unable to process all of the excess sugars (since alcohol is a type of sugar) out of the body. The next big cause is excessive eating of high carbohydrate or high fat foods. These cause the pancreas to work extra hard to process the food and it could simply give out. Other reasons can easily include blunt trauma from being punched, falling down or anything else which can place the pancreas into shock.

The other type of pancreatitis is called chronic pancreatitis and takes much longer to come into play. Of course, this type of pancreatitis is much more serious and loss of the pancreatic functions is possible, meaning that the person may have to live without a functioning pancreas for the rest of their short lives. The pancreas gets into this situation when it is no longer unable to function properly and simply shuts down. If no action is taken, the pancreas can completely stop permanently and the person may not be able to survive if they are not immediately hospitalized.

The Stealth Problem with Pancreatitis

The big problem with Pancreatitis is the fact that it can come in so stealthy. The problem could exist for a small while before the sudden pains are felt which could be horrible enough to cause immobilization and more. The pains can also cause a severe vomiting reaction as well as many other symptoms. The following are known symptoms which occur with pancreatitis:

Fever – The fever is one of the most common symptoms which could also be misinterpreted for something else. It is important to really look at the other symptoms if they are present and think about hospitalization instead of giving a pain medication or cold medication which could actually aggravate the condition.

Chills - Since the body is under a lot of stress, the body may respond with chills which make the body feel cold even when the physical temperature may be several degrees above normal. This condition is very dangerous because it shows that the body is bad off and needs immediate medical attention.

Abdominal Pain - One of the telltale signs of pancreatitis is abdominal pain and it can range from slight discomfort to very debilitating pain that renders the person unable to move. The pain can be a mixture of severe soreness to the physical feeling of burning in the tissue. This is cause for immediate concern and one in this condition should never go without seeing a doctor or seeking assistance from the hospital.

Headaches - Headaches are very common in many different forms for several different reasons. The reason why headaches occur during pancreatitis is due to the fact that there is too much lipase in the body. The lipase is the chemical enzyme that the pancreas releases when it is overworked and trying to reduce the amount of carbohydrates and alcohols from the system. This can also be caused by dehydration of the body. It may not be wise to give water to a person with pancreatitis because it will also work the pancreas when taken by stomach.

Nausea – Nausea is one of the most common symptoms of pancreatitis for two main reasons. Reason number one is because the body wants to get rid of extra food and materials before they have to be processed by the pancreas. Number two is because the body is full of toxins and the stomach will refuse anything else which may be problematic at the time.

Dizziness – The sudden loss of balance and feeling very dizzy is possible with pancreatitis. There is no way to prevent it and it can contribute to the feelings of nausea and other complications with this condition.

Weakness -Weakness is contributed due to the fact that the body is not running on ingested energy, instead, the body is trying very hard to convert the fats in the body into useable energy which is actually detrimental to the health of the body because it creates too many toxins before they can be secreted.

Confusion – Confusion due to high blood glucose as well as being full of toxins and having dehydration are common and very difficult to really get over. A large portion of the people who end up with pancreatitis do not know what to do and will have a difficult time figuring out what is happening to them. Unless there are other people around to help them, they may not seek out the proper help or may be able to get to a phone or service in time.

Secondary Infection – Secondary infections can occur in many different areas of the body. Most commonly, infections will occur in the throat and sinuses and can even become damaging enough to aggravate the condition.

Getting Pancreatitis Diagnosed

Diagnosis can be done in many ways. Unfortunately, the larger majority of the people who end up with this condition will find out too late in the emergency room when it is dangerous and destructive to the body. When it is caught in time, it can be safely diagnosed and treated. Another unfortunate problem which many of the people who are diagnosed will encounter is the fact that the pancreatitis may not be severe enough to notice as the real problem. The symptoms that are felt can be misdiagnosed as another condition. This is why a blood panel must be conducted to look for abnormal blood counts as well as elevated glucose and lipase in the blood. This is the only way to really find if someone has pancreatitis.

Treatment of Pancreatitis

Treatment can be done in several ways but most of the time hospitalization is required. The hospitalization will require the person to be hooked up to an intravenous line and have water and antibiotics fed through the line. This helps to prevent infection and can allow for the pancreas to heal. The hospital may not allow the individual to eat any food or drink, even water until the pancreas is able to process minimal amounts of food. Even with hospitalization, those with chronic pancreatitis may have to go through much more to get their pancreas working again. Acute pancreatitis can be resolved in as little as a few days while those with chronic pancreatitis may not be so lucky and can be in the hospital for weeks or longer.