What is pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis is inflammation in your pancreas.
What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?
The primary symptom of pancreatitis is abdominal pain.
What are the different types of pancreatitis?
There are two types of pancreatitis, acute and chronic.
What is acute pancreatitis?
Acute pancreatitis is a temporary condition that happens when your pancreas is attempting to recover from a minor, short-term injury.
What is chronic pancreatitis?
Chronic pancreatitis is a long-term, progressive condition that gets worse over time.
How common is pancreatitis?
In the U.S., acute pancreatitis leads to 275,000 hospital stays per year and chronic pancreatitis leads to 86,000 hospital stays per year.
What causes acute pancreatitis?
Acute pancreatitis is most often caused by gallstones blocking the pancreatic duct or by alcohol.
What causes chronic pancreatitis?
Chronic pancreatitis is caused by repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis or by inherited disorders.
What are the symptoms of acute pancreatitis?
Symptoms of acute pancreatitis may include nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate, fast, shallow breathing, and fever.
What are the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis?
Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis may include indigestion and pain after eating, loss of appetite and unintended weight loss, fatty poops that leave an oily film in the toilet, and lightheadedness.
What does the pain of pancreatitis feel like?
Abdominal pain from pancreatitis may be moderate to severe and may radiate to your back.
What makes the pain of pancreatitis worse?
The pain of pancreatitis may feel worse when lying flat, coughing, exercising, or eating more.