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Pancreatic enzymes play an important role in digestion. The enzymes travel to the small intestine, where they break down protein, fats and other nutrients. If pancreatic enzymes are unable to pass into the intestine, they begin to work on surrounding tissue, resulting in an inflamed pancreas. An inflamed pancreas, or pancreatitis, presents as both acute and chronic conditions.
Hereditary Pancreatitis. Heredity accounts for approximately 1% of pancreatitis cases. If heredity is responsible for the disease, inflammation is likely to be chronic, and to strike at relatively early ages. Hereditary inflammation also appears to increase the likelihood of pancreatic cancer; by age 70, 40% of people suffering from hereditary pancreatitis display some symptoms of cancer.
Incidence; Causes & Development
Acute pancreatitis affects over 80,000 people in the United States every year.
Acute Pancreatitis. Some 60-80% of acute pancreatitis cases can be traced to two causes: gallstones and alcohol damage. Gallstones can block central ducts, preventing digestive enzymes from leaving the pancreas. Over time, alcoholism damages the gland and hinders its ability to function.
Certain medications and infections can also trigger acute attacks of the disease. In up to 15% of cases, however, the cause of the inflammation is unknown.
Chronic Pancreatitis is a series of recurring inflammatory attacks that gradually causes irreversible damage to the pancreas and surrounding tissue. Alcoholism is the primary cause of chronic inflammation: between 70% and 80% of cases can be traced to excessive, habitual alcohol consumption. Damage caused by alcoholism takes years to develop: most chronic pancreatitis symptoms don't appear until people are in their thirties or forties.
While alcoholism is the primary cause of chronic inflammation, the condition can be traced to other causes: cystic fibrosis, drugs, genetic disposition and radiation therapy may all trigger the disease. In some cases, no cause can be determined.
Signs & Symptoms
One of the most common pancreatitis symptoms is upper abdominal pain. It often radiates to the back and may last for several days. Although upper abdominal pain is usually present, some people don't experience pain at all. Other pancreatitis symptoms include fever, nausea and vomiting.
Chronic pancreatitis symptoms resemble those of an acute inflammatory attack, but recur over time. Upper abdominal pain may become chronic, and may be aggravated by eating or drinking.
Diagnosis & Tests
Pancreatic enzyme tests are used to assess how much inflammatory damage the gland has endured. Blood tests that measure levels of lipase and amylase may indicate inflammation. Lipase and amylase are both pancreatic enzymes. If the pancreas function is affected due to inflammation, tests for the two enzymes may be as high as three times normal levels.
Ultrasound imaging is often used to detect duct-blocking gallstones. CT scans can help detect signs of infection or damage to glandular tissue. Ultrasound, CT scans and other diagnostic imaging tools can also detect physical problems associated with chronic inflammation, including calcification of the pancreatic tissue (calcium deposits may build up in the gland, causing tissues to harden).
Blood tests, urine analysis and stool samples can help monitor advanced chronic inflammation and the disease's progress.
Treatment & Prevention
For most acute attacks, pain management with analgesics is all that is required. If infection causes the inflammation, treatment may include antibiotics. Surgery may be required to remove gallstones, drain obstructed bile ducts or remove fluid-filled cysts.
After treatment, alcohol abstinence is highly recommended. Heavy meals should also be avoided, as they place greater demands on the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes.
When alcoholism is the cause of the inflammation, complete abstinence from alcohol is required. People suffering from alcoholism may need to seek therapy or support groups to stop drinking. A low fat, high carbohydrate diet, which requires fewer enzymes to digest, is recommended. If damage to the gland is severe, enzyme supplements to aid digestion can be taken with meals. Surgical options include draining blocked ducts, and in advanced cases, removal of a portion of the gland.
Complications
Hypoxia may occur as a result of pancreatitis. Hypoxia occurs when the body's cells do not receive enough oxygen, and is usually treated by administering oxygen through a facemask. Although rare, complications from an inflamed pancreas can be fatal. Lung, kidney and heart failure may all occur in severe cases.
Without treatment, chronic inflammation gradually destroys the pancreas' ability to function. Reduced digestive enzymes cause malabsorbtion of nutrients, leading to both weight loss and poor quality bowel movements. If insulin-producing islet cells are damaged, diabetes may develop. Chronic inflammation carries with it a heightened risk of pancreatic cancer.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Pancreatitis:
Conditions that suggest Pancreatitis:
Risk factors for Pancreatitis:
Pancreatitis can lead to:
Recommendations and treatments for Pancreatitis:
KEY | | Weak or unproven link |  | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link |  | | May do some good |
GLOSSARY
Abdomen (Abdominal)
That part of the body between the chest and the hips that contains the stomach, intestines, liver, bladder, pancreas and other organs.
Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.
Amylase
A starch-digesting enzyme.
Bile
A bitter, yellow-green secretion of the liver. Bile is stored in the gallbladder and is released when fat enters the first part of the small intestine (duodenum) in order to aid digestion.
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Carbohydrates (Carbohydrate)
The sugars and starches in food. Sugars are called simple carbohydrates and found in such foods as fruit and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are composed of large numbers of sugar molecules joined together, and are found in grains, legumes, and vegetables like potatoes, squash, and corn.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Cystic Fibrosis
(CF) An incurable genetic disease involving a sticky buildup of mucus in the lungs (which makes breathing difficult and leads to infections), as well as pancreatic insufficiency (which leads to digestive problems). Symptoms include chronic cough producing thick mucus, excessive appetite combined with weight loss, intestinal disorders, salty sweat/skin and pneumonia. Lung-related problems are the most frequent cause of death. CF is a recessive disease, occurring only when a person inherits two mutated copies of the CF gene - one from each parent. Individuals with CF generally have a life expectancy of about 30 years.
Cysts (Cyst)
A closed pocket or pouch of tissue; a cyst may form within any tissue in the body and can be filled with air, fluid, pus, or other material. Cysts within the lung generally are air-filled, while cysts involving the lymph system or kidneys are fluid filled. Cysts under the skin are benign, extremely common, movable lumps. These may develop as a result of infection, clogging of sebaceous glands, developmental abnormalities or around foreign bodies.
Deciliter (dL)
0.1 or one tenth of a liter.
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes, Diabetic, Diabetics)
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Enzymes (Enzyme)
Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.
Gallstone (Biliary Calculus, Gall Stone, Gall Stones, Gallbladder Attack, Gallbladder Attacks, Gallstones)
Stone-like objects in either the gallbladder or bile ducts, composed mainly of cholesterol and occasionally mixed with calcium. Most gallstones do not cause problems until they become larger or they begin obstructing bile ducts, at which point gallbladder "attacks" begin to occur. Symptoms usually occur after a fatty meal and at night. The following are the most common ones: steady, severe pain in the middle-upper abdomen or below the ribs on the right; pain in the back between the shoulder blades; pain under the right shoulder; nausea; vomiting; fever; chills; jaundice; abdominal bloating; intolerance of fatty foods; belching or gas; indigestion.
Gland (Glands)
The glandular system is one of the most important and complicated systems of the body. Gland tissue can be either an organ or general tissue that secretes chemicals and there are two types of gland: exocrine and endocrine. Those glands which secrete chemicals through tubules or ducts are called exocrine and include sweat, tear and salivary glands. Ductless glands - part of the endocrine system - secrete special chemicals (hormones) directly into the blood.
Glandular (Glandulars, Raw Glandulars)
Either referring to a gland, OR glands and organs from animals specially processed at temperatures not exceeding body heat and put into supplement form.
Jaundice
Yellow discoloration of the skin, whites of the eyes and excreta as a result of an excess of the pigment bilirubin in the bloodstream.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Lipase
An enzyme secreted by the pancreas to assist in fat breakdown.
Lung (Lungs, Pulmonary)
Organ of the body, located in the chest cavity which is designed to bring oxygen from the air into the blood stream, while also expelling carbon dioxide and other waste gases out of the body. Pulmonary: Related to the lungs.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Nausea
Symptoms resulting from an inclination to vomit.
Pancreas (Pancreatic)
Opposite the liver and behind the stomach, the pancreas has two main functions - to manufacture various enzymes for digestion, and to release hormones to help control the body's use of carbohydrates. It releases insulin to help each cell absorb glucose to burn as energy. In this way, insulin controls the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Proper pancreatic function is very important: too much, too little, or no insulin production can be life-threatening. Some of the chemicals released by the pancreas are not hormones, but stimulate other glands to make hormones. Once again, balance is necessary. Nutritional requirements for the pancreas are many. Research indicates that chromium vitamins C, E, B-complex, calcium, magnesium and potassium are especially important.
Pancreatitis
Inflammation of the pancreas. Symptoms begin as those of acute pancreatitis: a gradual or sudden severe pain in the center part of the upper abdomen goes through to the back, perhaps becoming worse when eating and building to a persistent pain; nausea and vomiting; fever; jaundice (yellowing of the skin); shock; weight loss; symptoms of diabetes mellitus. Chronic pancreatitis occurs when the symptoms of acute pancreatitis continue to recur.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy)
The use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Depending on the stage of the disease, treatment with radiation may be given alone or with chemotherapy. Radiation therapy is local therapy; it affects cancer cells only in the treated area. External radiation does not cause the body to become radioactive. Most often, treatment is given on an outpatient basis in a hospital or clinic.
Small Intestine (Small Bowel)
The small intestine lies between the stomach and the large intestine. It is about 6 meters (20 feet) long and its primary function is to digest (break down) food and absorb nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats). The small intestine makes up more than 70% of the length and 90% of the surface area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Triglyceride (Triglycerides)
The main form of fat found in foods and the human body. Containing three fatty acids and one unit of glycerol, triglycerides are stored in adipose cells in the body, which, when broken down, release fatty acids into the blood. Triglycerides are fat storage molecules and are the major lipid component of the diet.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound testing uses sound waves projected into the body to produce an image of internal organs, structures, tumors, etc. In this procedure, a gel is applied to the patient's skin, and a small device that emits ultrasonic pulses is slowly passed over the area. The sonic image produced is viewed on a monitor.
Last updated: Jul 12, 2008
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