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Pancreatitis - What Happens
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
Pancreatitis
usually appears as a sudden (acute) attack of pain in the
upper area
of the belly (abdomen). The disease may be mild or severe.
Acute pancreatitis
Most people with pancreatitis have mild acute pancreatitis. The disease does not affect their other organs, and they recover without problems. In most cases, the disease goes away within a week after treatment begins. Treatment takes place in the hospital with pain medicines and intravenous (IV) fluids. After inflammation goes away, the pancreas usually returns to normal.
Complications that may occur in or near the pancreas include tissue death, fluid buildup, and infection. Other complications in other parts of the body can also happen, including shock, respiratory failure, and kidney failure.
In some cases pancreatic tissue is permanently damaged or even dies (necrosis). These complications increase the risk of infection and organ failure.
In severe cases, pancreatitis can be fatal.
Chronic pancreatitis
Long-term pancreatitis (chronic pancreatitis) may develop after one or more episodes of acute pancreatitis. It usually occurs after at least 10 years of heavy drinking. It occurs in up to 15 out of 100 people of people who drink heavily.1
What happens during the course of chronic pancreatitis varies. Ongoing pain and complications often develop. Complications may include flare-ups of symptoms, fluid buildup, and blockage of a blood vessel, the bile duct, or the small intestine.
If much of your pancreatic tissue has died, you may become malnourished because the pancreas no longer produces enzymes needed to digest fat and protein. When this happens, fat is released into your stool. This condition, called steatorrhea, causes loose, pale, unusually foul-smelling stools that may float in the toilet bowl.
If the damaged pancreas stops making enough insulin, you also may develop diabetes.
Chronic pancreatitis increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. About 4 out of 100 people with chronic pancreatitis develop this cancer.1
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: January 20, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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