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Pancreatitis
The main symptom of sudden (acute)
pancreatitis is sudden moderate to severe
pain in the
upper area 
of the belly (abdomen). Occasionally the pain is mild. But the pain
may feel as though it bores through the abdomen to the back. Sitting up or
leaning forward sometimes makes the pain less. Other symptoms of an attack of
pancreatitis are:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Fever.
- Fast heart rate.
- Sweating.
- Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice).
- Shock.
Long-term (chronic) pancreatitis also causes severe pain in the upper abdomen. As the condition progresses, fat may be released into your stools, indicating that your body is not absorbing fat and protein. As a result, you may have diarrhea and lose weight. You also could develop diabetes if your pancreas no longer produces enough insulin.
Other conditions that have similar symptoms include bowel obstruction, appendicitis, cholecystitis, peptic ulcer disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: January 20, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology | |
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