Pancreatitis can be either acute or chronic depending on how long a person has had pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammation of the pancreas characterized by a short term illness and a quick recovery. Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by a permanent damage of the pancreas causing ongoing illness.
The common causes of both acute and chronic pancreatitis are
- Gallstones
- Heavy alcohol use
- Genetic disorders of your pancreas
- Some medicines such as azathioprine, steroids, metronidazole
Other causes include
- Infections, such as viruses or parasites
- Injury to your abdomen
- Pancreatic cancer
- Having a procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to treat another condition
- Pancreas divisum
