Pancreatitis is not a fun experience for anyone to endure. It's a pain that is comparable to a heart attack or even childbirth, as some doctors have said. What is the purpose of the pancreas? Believe it or not, the pancreas is extremely important for the body to function properly. It takes care of two major functions that are essential to anyone's health and well-being.
The Functions of the Pancreas
The pancreas aids in proper digestion of food, as well as producing insulin for the body that prevents diabetes. The pancreas is located in the upper middle quadrant of the abdomen, just below the sternum, and connects to the duodenum. It excretes pacreatic enzymes that are released into intestines when food passes through to help break the food down. This could be considered its main function.
What Pancreatitis Is
Pancreatitis, whether acute or chronic, is when the pancreas can't release these digestive enzymes into the intestines and they, essentially, get stuck in the pancreas. The enzymes that are produced are acidic and damage the pancreas when they are unable to be released. This causes the pancreas to flare and starts to digest the pancreas. For lack of a better term, it slow-cooks the pancreas. This causes extreme pain, nausea, vomiting of bile, and food or drink only makes the pain more severe. If this continues without medical attention being sought and the person continues to eat and drink, this can cause shock and even death.
What Causes Pancreatitis?
There are several things that can cause this horrid condition. Extreme alcohol consumption is the biggest factor; having gall stones or gallbladder problems, poor health, too much carbonation, spicy food, and extreme stress are also factors. When dealing with this condition it is important to avoid all forms of alcohol, spicy food, and tomato based products. If you are living with this condition, you can also tell what foods or drinks make the condition worse thereby you are able to avoid what causes pain.
The Difference Between Chronic and Acute
For those who don't know, there is a difference between chronic and acute conditions. Acute means, a sudden onset or one-time occurrence. With acute pancreatitis, it happens suddenly and there was no previous occurrence of the pain. In acute cases, if there is no other onset, the pancreas can heal and the person can go on with his normal life after he has recovered. In chronic cases, the acute has preceded it and then another onset occurs. The chronic case can cause permanent damage to the pancreas, as well as having to overcome constant pain on a daily basis, in the worst cases. The person may also have to have insulin, due to diabetes setting in from the malfunction of the pancreas. Malnutrition is also a side effect of having the chronic form of pancreatitis, due to the fact that the body can't absorb nutrients as it once could. Whether acute or chronic, pancreatitis is not a condition anyone should have to face. If you are suffering from pancreatitis in any form, or think you may have had a bout and not known, even just to get more information about this condition, you can visit Pancreatitis Foundation for more information about the pancreas and pancreatitis.
