Less common causes of pancreatitis
- Pancreatitis is a disease that causes inflammation and pain in your pancreas. The pancreas is a small organ that makes fluids and enzymes to break down the food you eat. Sometimes a gallstone(stone in the gallbladder) can block your pancreatic duct and cause pancreatitis. ,This is known as gallstone pancreatitis.
Severe pain is the most common symptom of gallstone pancreatitis, but it is not the only symptom. You might also have:
- Pain that feels sharp or a “squeezing” in your left upper abdomen or in your back
- Pain that radiates from the original site up to the shoulder or chest
- Chills
- Fever
- Jaundice
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Eighty percent of cases of pancreatitis are caused by alcohol or gallstones . Gallstones are the single most common cause of acute pancreatitis. Alcohol is the single most common cause of chronic pancreatitis.
Gallstones form in your gallbladder. But in cases of gallstone pancreatitis, the stone leaves the gallbladder. It blocks the opening from the pancreas to the first part of the small intestine (duodenum). This causes a backup of fluid that can travel up both the bile duct and the pancreatic duct.
It’s not possible to fully prevent gallstone pancreatitis. This is because it’s not possible to fully prevent gallstones from forming. But you can take steps to reduce your gallstone risk.
Eat a healthy diet, stay at a healthy weight, keep your cholesterol levels within a normal range, and manage diabetes if you have it.
If you are taking a medicine that contains estrogen, ask your healthcare provider how this might add to your risk of developing gallstones.
If you already have a gallbladder stone then consult your doctor regarding your risk of developing pancreatitis. Having multiple small stones, increases the risk of pancreatitis. In such scenario, the doctor will advise surgery to remove gallbladder.
Pancreatitis is best treated initially by avoiding any intake of liquids and solids until the inflammation subsides. Intravenous delivery of fluids is usually all that’s required if the inflammation is modest and symptoms resolve in a few days.
Severe inflammation, persistent pain or fevers suggest severe pancreatitis and ongoing inflammation. Intravenous delivery of nutrients would be started if oral intake cannot be restarted within approximately 5-7 days. Severe nausea and vomiting are treated initially by relieving the stomach of fluid by use of a nasogastric tube and with antinausea medications.
Pain therapies may be administered by intravenous until oral treatments and food intake can resume.
Stones that cause gallstone pancreatitis may pass out of the duct without intervention or may require endoscopic &/or surgical removal.
In cases of infected pancreatic tissue, or a condition called pancreatic necrosis (dead tissue) occurs, antibiotics may be used to control or prevent infection.
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